During the ceremony Commander Clark Price, the Captain of the craft, will assume command, delivering his orders before the Hoisting of Colours, signifying that the US Navy had accepted US Navy Vessel HSV 2 Swift.
Robert Clifford, Chairman of Incat and Vice President of Bollinger Incat USA will also make a brief presentation. Mr Clifford will acknowledge the support of the State and Federal Governments with the Premier of Tasmania, Jim Bacon and the Australian Minister for Trade Mark Vaile attending the ceremony.
With the Royal Australian Air Force band playing, flags flying and the usual pomp and ceremony associated with such events, the 80 or so US officers and crew will be joined by representatives of the Australian Defence Force, invited guests and the entire Incat workforce.
The ceremony will be followed by an Aussie themed “barbie” complete with the ubiquitous gum trees and Hills Hoist on deck!
Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., has contracted to lease HSV 2 Swift from Bollinger/Incat USA, LLC, Lockport, Louisiana for the U.S. Navy. The ship has been built over the past year at the Hobart shipyards of Incat Tasmania.
The High Speed Vessel (HSV) HSV 2 Swift will serve operationally as an interim Mine Warfare Command and Support Ship (MCS), and support transformational mine warfare modular mission payload initiatives. In support of Navy experimentation, the HSV will be used to explore concepts, capabilities and military utility associated with the advanced hull and propulsion technology integrated with advanced communications in support of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.
For the Marine Corps, the HSV will conduct a series of limited-objective experiments, exercises, demonstrations and training events that develop interoperability potential of high-speed vessels with causeways, watercraft, amphibious ships and other shipping. Experimentation data will be used to access the military utility of HSVs and future joint and naval military operations or applications.
The HSV is capable of maintaining an average speed of 35 knots or greater, loaded with 500 short tons, consisting of 350 personnel and military equipment. A minimum operating range of 1100 nautical miles at 35 knots is required by the contract, as is a minimum transit range of 4000 nautical miles at an average speed of 20 knots. Furthermore, she must be capable of 24-hour operations at slow speeds (3-10 knots) for experimentation with unmanned autonomous vehicles, and to support dedicated and emerging organic mine warfare missions.
A stern ramp capable of on/off loading directly astern or to the starboard quarter is fitted. The ramp is capable of loading/unloading a multitude of military vehicles up to and including M1A1 main battle tanks of up to 141,000 lbs. Swift is also fitted with a load compensating crane capable of launch and recovery of small boats and unmanned vehicles up to 26,000 lbs. whilst underway. The crane is capable of lifting up to 22,000 lbs. to and from the flight deck.
Perhaps one of the most impressive features of Swift is the NAVAIR certified helicopter flight deck for operation of MH-60S, CH-46, UH-1 and AH-1 helicopters. An area protected from the weather for storage and maintenance of two MH-60S helicopters has also been provided to enhance aviation operations in day, night and instrument meteorological conditions.
With sea trials, Navy acceptance, and crew certification complete Swift will deploy and commence routine operations. The vessel will operate with crews stationed at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, and Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.
HSV 2 Swift is the fourth Incat Wave Piercing Catamaran to enter Military service.
In 1999 the Royal Australian Navy chartered the 86 metre Wave Piercing Catamaran HMAS Jervis Bay (Incat Hull 045) for use during the East Timor crisis. The vessel seized the attention of the worldwide military, enabling them to witness the potential of the Wave Piercing platform to perform various military roles.
In 2001, joint forces from the US Military awarded to Bollinger / Incat USA the charter for a High Speed Craft to be used as an evaluation platform for various trials and demonstrations for the different forces involved. The 96 metre Wave Piercing Catamaran HSV-X1 Joint Venture became the benchmark for future Fast Sealift acquisitions, thanks to her high operational speed, long-range deployment capabilities, combined with a high deadweight capacity. Joint Venture has excelled during her deployment in the Persian Gulf is support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Just hours after Operation Iraqi Freedom began, Joint Venture sped into the shallow Persian Gulf waters near the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, acting as an afloat forward staging base for Marine Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Teams and Navy SEAL commandos. The ship returns to Tasmania tomorrow, Wednesday 13 August, direct from the Persian Gulf. (editors see separate note)
On 14 November 2002, the US Army took acceptance of its first Theater Support Vessel TSV-1X Spearhead. The craft is part of the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator (ACTD) program, a joint effort by the acquisition and operational (war fighter) communities within the Department of Defence (DoD). Typically ACTD’s begin by identifying significant military needs and then matching them with current commercial technology or other programs ready to focus on military application.
