Page 15: of Marine News Magazine (July 2005)

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July, 2005 • MarineNews 15

By Lara B. Mathews and Karim K. Shehadeh

High-speed aluminum vessels are well- recognized and established as providing excellent service in a number of capacities by both private and public operators.

These uses include leisure travel and tours and mass transportation of passengers and vehicles. In recent years, the U.S. military has joined the ranks of high-speed vessel users by introducing U.S.-built aluminum twin-hull high-speed vessels for use as

Theater Support Vessels (TSVs) and for training exercises. Despite a somewhat uncertain funding climate for these types of vessels in the military, they have per- formed exceptionally well with demon- strated benefits. The U.S. military has begun using (typically through charter arrangements) high-speed vessels (1) to transport troops and equipment to combat zones and (2) for military exercises. The increasing interest in high-speed vessels from the military has resulted in recent funding by the Congress of the Navy's Lit- toral Combat Ship program and the char- tering of two TSVs described below.

Despite this trend and the successful ser- vice of these vessels, the future of the

TSV program remains uncertain at this time, as Congress has not appropriated funds for the design and construction of additional TSVs. High-speed vessels pro- vide the military with a less expensive means of transporting large quantities of equipment and troops in a single voyage to combat areas and for training exercises.

The use of such vessels in place of air- craft, where appropriate, allows the U.S. military to reserve its airlift capabilities for longer range missions. Moreover, high-speed vessels chartered to the MSC in particular may obtain a waiver from compliance with U.S. Coast Guard navi- gation and inspection requirements upon a finding that such waiver is in the interest of national defense. For example, the 98 m Westpac Express, constructed as a pas- senger vessel by Austal Ships Pty Ltd. of

Western Australia, is presently operating under a time charter to the MSC for use by the Marine Corps' Third Marine Expedi- tionary Force. Unlike a bareboat charter (also known as a demise charter), a time charterer does not assume the responsibil- ity for managing and operating the vessel; that responsibility remains with the vessel owner or its designated operator. The

Westpac Express is based in Okinawa,

Japan and, unlike other high-speed vessels used by the U.S. military, operated by an all-civilian crew. In addition to the pure military benefits, as recent events show, high-speed vessels may be used to provide humanitarian relief in remote corners of the world. In January 2005, the Westpac

Express traveled 2,300 miles from its base in Okinawa to ferry over 600 tons of need- ed communications equipment to tsuna- mi-ravaged Southeast Asia. In contrast, providing the humanitarian assistance by air would have required constant flights over a five or six-day period. In addition, the U.S. Army's Southern Command cur- rently operates the TSV named Spear- head, or TSV-1X, which provides troop movement capabilities similar to those of the Westpac Express. This vessel is oper- ated under a charter between the U.S.

Army Tank Automotive and Armament

Command and the vessel's builder and owner, Bollinger/Incat USA, LLC, a joint venture between Bollinger Shipyards of

Lockport, Louisiana, and Incat Tasmania

Pty, Ltd. of Tasmania.

Bollinger/Incat also has constructed high-speed vessels chartered to the U.S.

Navy. The most recent, named the Swift or HSV 2, is an enhanced version of its predecessor, the Joint Venture or HSV X-

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Military Uses for High-Speed Vessels

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