The (Newport News, Va.) Daily Press (TNS)
Published: January 1, 2015
The Navy deployed its first high-speed catamaran earlier this week to the western coast of Africa.
The send-off took place Sunday at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Va., for the USNS Spearhead, a troop and cargo transporter.
This isn't the ship's first deployment: It returned to Norfolk, Va., in May after its maiden five-month tour of Europe and Africa. But the joint high-speed vessel is the first of its kind.
One of 10 intended for the Navy, the 338-foot-long aluminum catamaran is propelled by water jets, similar to the propulsion of a personal watercraft. It has a 20,000-square-foot mission bay that can be configured for a variety of tasks. It can carry up to 312 passengers and reach a top speed of 40 knots.
Military Sealift Command operates the Spearhead. It is a Navy organization that controls most of the supply and transport ships that serve the U.S. military.
©2014 The (Newport News, Va.) Daily Press. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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