MOBILE, Ala. –
"I hereby declare that the keel of the United States Army Vessel Spearhead, JHSV 1, has been truly and fairly laid."
These words by retired Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth Wahlman, keel authenticator, echoed across the Austal USA Shipyard in Mobile, Ala., after he finished welding his initials into a sheet of metal to later be attached to the first Joint High Speed Vessel during a keel laying ceremony July 22.
The keel laying ceremony formally and symbolically recognizes the start of the ship's module erection process, the joining of modular components, and the ceremonial beginning of a vessel. In earlier times it was the laying down of the central or main timber making up the backbone of a vessel. Today, fabrication of the ship modules begins months before the units are actually joined.
The Joint High Speed Vessel is a combined venture between the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. The program, overseen by the Navy's Program Executive Office Ships, merges the previous Army's Theater Support Vessel and the Navy's High Speed Connector to decrease costs by taking advantage of the inherent commonality between the existing programs.
The vessels will be used for fast intra-theater transportation of troops, military vehicles and equipment for missions ranging from contingency operations and humanitarian assistance to disaster relief and emerging seabasing concepts in austere port environments. The watercraft will be capable of transporting 600 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. They will be capable of operating in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank. Other joint requirements include an aviation flight deck to support day and night air vehicle launch and recovery operations.
"The Joint High Speed Vessel will provide combatant commanders the flexibility to rapidly reposition land forces and sustainment stocks at operational and strategic distances in missions spanning the full spectrum of operations," said Brig. Gen. Brian Layer, Army chief of Transportation and Fort Eustis commanding general, during his remarks at the ceremony.
The first JHSV, Spearhead, will be constructed by Austal USA, an Australian company that specializes in the design and construction of aluminum vessels. To further improve production efficiencies, Austal completed a Modular Manufacturing Facility in November 2009 that provides a five-fold increase in existing capacity and reduces construction duration.
Spearhead belongs to the Army and is expected to be delivered to the 7th Sustainment Brigade in 2012. The second vessel of the class, the future USNS Vigilant, will be delivered to the Navy the following year. There are 10 JHSVs on tap to be manufactured, with five to be produced for the Army and five for the Navy.