Spearhead-class joint high speed vessel

The Spearhead-class joint high speed vessel (JHSV) 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 Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) program is a cooperative effort for a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intratheater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The JHSV will reach speeds of 35 - 45 kn and will allow for the rapid transit and deployment of conventional or special forces as well as equipment and supplies."

Capabilities
The JHSV will be 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 JHSV will have a flight deck for helicopters and a load ramp that will allow vehicles to quickly drive on and off the ship. The ramp will be suitable for the types of austere piers and quay walls common in developing countries. JHSV will have a shallow draft (under 15 ft).

The design is 70 percent in common with the Hawaii Superferry, also built by Austal USA.

Control System
The control system for this class is provided by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems through an open architecture computing infrastructure (OPEN CI). OPEN CI includes the information technology (IT) infrastructure for the combat and seaframe control systems. The infrastructure integrates the ship's electronic systems including, internal and external communication, electronic navigation, aviation and armament systems.

The General Dynamics OPEN CI is also used on the (LCS), also built by Austal.

Program
The JHSV program combines the Army's Theater Support Vessel (TSV) program (dating from 2004) with the Navy and Marine Corps High Speed Connector (HSC) (requirement dating from 2004).

The JHSV program received Milestone A approval in May 2006. The Navy awarded Phase One preliminary design contracts in early 2008, and a detail design and construction contract in the 4th Quarter of FY08.

The Navy's Program Executive Office, Ships will conduct acquisition for both the Army and Navy, but each service will fund its own ships. After delivery, each service will be responsible for manning, maintaining, and providing full lifecycle support for its vessels.

USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1), the lead ship in the class, was launched in September 2011, and it is expected to be delivered to the Navy in early 2012. Construction of JHSV-2 is underway.

The Navy expected to purchase 23 JHSV vessels over 30 years.

On 2 May 2011, all Army JHSVs were transferred to the Navy.

On 5 December 2012, the first ship in the class, USNS Spearhead, was delivered to Military Sealift Command in Mobile, Alabama.

On 30 June 2011, Austal was awarded construction contracts for JHSV-6 and JHSV-7.

On 27 February 2012, Austal was awarded construction contracts for JHSV-8 and JHSV-9.

On 10 December 2012, the navy awarded its final option under its current contract, and ordered JHSV-10.

On 5 April 2013, the JHSV program was added to the remit of the Littoral Combat Ship Council, so that the capabilities of both ship types could be considered together.

Ships

 * USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1) (completed)
 * USNS Choctaw County (JHSV-2) (completed)
 * USNS Millinocket (JHSV-3) (under construction)
 * USNS Fall River (JHSV-4)
 * USNS Trenton (JHSV-5) (Under Construction)
 * USNS Brunswick (JHSV-6) (Under Construction)
 * USNS Carson City (JHSV-7) (Under Construction)
 * USNS Yuma (JHSV-8)
 * USNS Bismarck (JHSV-9)
 * USNS Burlington (JHSV-10)

History
The Navy has been operating HSVs for some years, notably HSV-X1 Joint Venture, HSV-2 Swift, USAV Spearhead, and MV Westpac Express (HSV-4676).

In June 2011, a fifty-ton module was damaged at the Austal shipyard in Mobile during the construction of USNS Chocktaw County.

In 2013 a Frost & Sullivan report predicted that sales could be made to APAC countries.