 |
| USNS Spearhead. Navy photo |
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Navy's first joint high-speed vessel departed Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Ft. Story Thursday on its maiden deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility.
USNS Spearhead, JHSV 1, will remain in U.S. 6th Fleet until May 2014 and sail to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility through the end of fiscal year 2014. While deployed, the ship will undergo testing to determine the ship's capabilities.
Spearhead, built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., is fast, flexible and maneuverable and used for intra-theater transport. The 338-foot catamaran is equipped with a 20,000-square foot mission bay that can be adapted to multiple uses.
Spearhead and the other JHSVs in its class can move more than 600 tons of troops and equipment 1,200 nautical miles. The ship's flight deck can also support flight operations for a wide variety of aircraft, including a CH-53 Super Stallion. (Source:
NNS, 01/16/14)
