Joint High Speed Vessel
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USNS Spearhead (EPF-1) during sea trials in 2012
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Austal USA |
| Operators: |
 United States Navy
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| Cost: |
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| Built: | 2010s |
| Building: | 3 |
| Planned: | 12 |
| Completed: | 7 |
| Active: | 7 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Expeditionary Fast Transport |
| Tonnage: | 1,515 tonnes |
| Length: | 103.0 m (337 ft 11 in) |
| Beam: | 28.5 m (93 ft 6 in) |
| Draft: | 3.83 m (12 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 43 knots (80 km/h; 49 mph) |
| Range: | 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi; 2,200 km) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
Can deploy various rigid hull inflatable boats |
| Capacity: | 600 short tons |
| Troops: | 312 |
| Crew: | 41 |
| Armament: | Four mounts for M2 .50 caliber machine guns |
| Aircraft carried: | Landing pad for a helicopter, up to CH-53 Super Stallion/CH-53K King Stallion, parking and storage area for MH-60 Seahawk |
The Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) is a United States Navy-led shipbuilding program to provide "a platform intended to support users in the Department of the Navy and Department of the Army. The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program is a cooperative effort for a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intratheater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The EPF will reach speeds of 35–45 knots (65–83 km/h; 40–52 mph) and will allow for the rapid transit and deployment of conventional or special forces as well as equipment and supplies." The vessels are a part of Military Sealift Command's Sealift Program. The class was previously designated as "Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV)", but was changed to (EPF) in September 2015.
The EPF is able to transport U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps company-sized units with their vehicles, or reconfigurable to become a troop transport for an infantry battalion.
The EPF has a flight deck for helicopters and a load ramp that will allow vehicles to quickly drive on and off the ship. The ramp is suitable for the types of austere piers and quay walls common in developing countries. EPF has a shallow draft (under 15 feet (4.6 m)).
A EPF is essentially an aluminum twin-hull catamaran shell containing four diesel engines, rudimentary control facilities for up to 40 crewmembers, and 312 airline-style passenger seats, along with an expansive flight deck on the top. The rest of the vessel is an empty 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) mission bay that can be loaded to carry whatever cargo is needed. Vehicles and cargo are loaded and unloaded by a ramp that can support up to 100 tons of weight. Although designed for a military crew of 46, the ships usually have a crew of just 26 mariners. The passenger room contains reclining seats with overhead televisions and racks for weapons and equipment. A vessel has 104 permanent berthing spaces. Without resupply, it can support 312 embarked personnel for four days, or 104 personnel for 14 days.
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Wikipedia