Combat tests Experimental Ship High-speed vessel proven during war in Iraq

marine times ^ | 20 June 2003 | Christian Lowe

[LSUfan]

It still may be an experimental ship, but a new, high-tech support vessel the Corps is testing for future amphibious operations already has gotten its first taste of combat operations.

Just hours after Operation Iraqi Freedom began, the High Speed Vessel X-1 “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.

In one of the first raids of the war, the HSV deployed a commando team March 20 in Mark V and Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats, which sped forward to seize two offshore oil terminals at the entrance of the port.

Shortly after the successful takedown, the SEAL team was replaced by a FAST detachment — which had been held in reserve aboard the HSV — to guard the platforms against any Iraqi counterattacks.

“For the first few hours of the war, we were the most forward ship in the U.S. Navy,” said Navy Capt. Phil Beierl, Joint Venture commander. “I was more worried about running aground than I was of taking fire.”

The Marine Corps, Navy and Army are experimenting with the HSV to determine the utility of the ship’s innovative design for a variety of missions. The tri-hull Joint Venture can carry more than 700 tons of cargo at speeds averaging 35 knots. It also can slip into ports too shallow to accommodate similarly sized cargo ships, giving logisticians greater options for off loading and transporting equipment between ports and large transport ships, officials say.

While the Corps mostly is interested in the Joint Venture as an in-theater transport, the March 20 platform raid marked the first time the HSV had been used for combat operations rather than logistics, demonstrating the utility of the water-jet-powered ship, said Lt. Col. Larry Ryder, Marine Corps program manager for the Joint Venture.

Built by Australia-based Incat and supplied by a cooperative venture between that company and Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards, the Joint Venture has been shared by the Army, Navy and Marines for the last three years. Each service has experimented with the ship as a high-speed transport, special-operations support ship and mine hunter.

The Navy and Marine Corps recently signed a lease for an updated HSV with greater cargo capacity and off loading capability. The HSV 2 “Swift” will be delivered in August and will sail with a Navy crew from Australia to the Persian Gulf, where it will be used for further transport and other operations, Beierl said.

For now, however, the Corps will use the HSV X-1 to transport equipment from ports in the Persian Gulf to staging areas in Bahrain and Kuwait as more Marines depart from the region, Ryder said.

The ship’s first operational lift for Marines was conducted May 21, when the Joint Venture shipped dozens of trucks and containers loaded with maps from Kuwait to Bahrain. The trip took eight hours at an average speed of nearly 30 miles per hour. Using trucks to transport the cargo overland to Bahrain would have taken two days, not including the time needed to arrange country clearances and border crossings, said Lt. Col. Patrick Connelly, chief logistician for the operation.

“The HSV is definitely the transportation mode of choice for this move,” Connelly said.

Ryder will continue to coordinate transport operations with the Joint Venture until late summer, when Beierl and his crew of 40 sail the ship to Australia to hand it over to the Army for good. In the meantime, Corps testers hope to use the Joint Venture to transport gear from shallow ports in Iraq to the Kuwaiti naval base, then on to Maritime Prepositioning Force ships moored offshore — a mission planners hope will demonstrate the HSV’s utility to support the Corps’ sea-basing concept.

“The HSV is performing superbly,” Beierl said. “Everything we’ve done with experiments back home we’ve been able to do here in the real world.”

[Gabrielle Reilly]

"Speed. U.S. forces arrived in theater in less than half the time (three months, compared to seven in Desert Storm), shortening the preparatory phase of OIF and generating more velocity for military operations."


Thanks for the slide show. It is interesting seeing how the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. I guess they are meeting the US Defense Strategy with this little baby.


"Deter aggression and coercion forward by increasing capabilities for swift military action within and across critical regions."

In case you didn't see this on Wednesday...

http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/2003/sp20030618-depsecdef0302.html

[sit-rep]

Looks pretty sweet. With an average speed of 35 knots, that sob will git up and go!

I remember refueling a spruance class destroyer(gas turbine) while I was in, the early 80's. The skipper, naturally needed to show off a bit, and after the fuel lines were detached, show off he did!!...

As they made preparations to disconnect fuel lines, you could hear the gas turbines increasing RPM. As the R's increased, the ship maintained it's speed(variable pitched propellers--computer controlled). As soon as they disconnected all lines, the old man gave word and they dumped the propeller blades to full forward. Harp, it was something to see. From 15 knots, this ship to two plunges into the oncoming swells and was gone! The water thrust out the rear of the ship(slippage) was almost as high as their bridge...totally awesome!

To see a ship with lines like a spruance, come out of the water past mid ship because of it's speed, has no equivalent rush… This is what a spruance looks like... similiar to th Arliegh(sp?) Burke Class.

[Squantos]

Had to swim home this evening.....we got a turd floater here in the Panhandle of Texas......water everywhere, 3 inches an hour here in my flat little farm town. Waiting for the tide to go out so my phones will work again.....:o) Flood warnings, Tornado watches and more rain on the way.

I'm gonna need that ship just to get out tomorrow if this keeps up. Gcruse...Mom says Pleasant Valley got a bunch too.........ya'll OK ???

Stay Safe !

[gcruse]

Today's storm was nothing like yesterday's. I never in my life saw anything like it. There was a modicum of lightning, but the thunder never ceased. It was a continual roar. I finally left the computer and stood at the door for a good fifteen minutes. At first I thought it was a large jet going over, but it didn't fade away. Just upper atmosphere thunder that continued with no silence for another half an hour. Damndest thing you ever saw.

[Squantos]

Weird Weather indeed........Stay High and Dry !!

[Quix]

MUCH appreciated the slide show. THANKS.

[river rat]

Don't forget...
You've got a high and dry LZ, here in SJ -- that is clear to approach...

Green smoke everywhere....

Semper Fi

[okie01]

"we got a turd floater here in the Panhandle of Texas......water everywhere, 3 inches an hour here in my flat little farm town."

Three inches an hour?! There ain't no way to handle that, up there on God's pool table.

[Squantos]

I know ....we have been having some really great drenching rains the past few days and water has been standing for a few days so this was the .....OK mother nature....can we stop for a few weeks please....thought. It's headed for ya'll so be careful.

Stay Safe !

[harpseal]

Problem with a spruance class destroyer is it is a little big for most of the harbors arround here and there is no swim platform. But it must have been a great sight.

[harpseal]

I guess the floods and the occaisional twister is what you have to put up with to live in Texas. But all in all it doesn't seem like a bad bargain.

[Valin]

High Speed Vessel (HSV)

---

The HSV is a leased commercial, high speed, aluminum catamaran hulled ocean-going vessel. The HSV is rapidly re-configurable and can perform a variety of missions, principal among them the ability to ferry up to 325 combat personnel and 400 tons of cargo up to 3000 miles one way at speeds in excess of 40 knots. Other potential capabilities of the HSV are not limited to but include:

Advanced logistics to replenish forces ashore quickly from a large ship offshore
Command and control
Amphibious operations
Special operations forces insertion/redeployment
Launch/Recover: Various SEAL platforms/craft
Support/Sustain: MK V's, Advanced SEAL Delivery System
Operate CH-46/MH-60/MH-6 helicopters
Objectives: The HSV will provide a theater based, long range, high speed, flexible SOF mobility platform which is capable of independent advance force operations. The HSV's 50% improvement in speed directly enhances the Rapid Decisive Operations (RDO) concept with regard to the transportation of men and materiel and the rapid establishment of advance force operations.


Concept of Operation and Employment: The HSV will be employed as a vessel capable of conducting true independent advance force operations.

During MC02, the HSV will serve as a maritime forward operations base (FOB) with reach-back conductivity to the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) and Joint Task Force (JTF) utilizing a robust C4I capability.

MC02 missions will include an airborne (H-60 Ops) and sea based SOF insertions to conduct Special Reconnaissance/Direct Action missions, deployment of a Semi-Autonomous Hydrographic Reconnaissance Vehicle (SAHRV) and the launch and recover of Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), Seal Delivery Vehicles (SDV), and Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R).

Simulated missions will include support and sustainment of the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) and MK V's. Navy Special Warfare Command's (NSWC) operational deployment package will be comprised of a Navy Special Warfare Task Unit (15 personnel), a SEAL Platoon (16 personnel) and a RIB Detachment (9 personnel).

[Squantos]

Yeah but next week it's supposed to be hotter than a snakes ass in a wagon rut and all this humidity is gonna make my normally dry and windy plains hot an muggy. All this hail has my old pickup looking like a titleist golf ball though. Dimples all over it......:o)

My whining aside it sure is pretty here this year. Green fields and tall crops.

Stay Safe Harpseal.....hope yer days are easy friend.

[sit-rep]

I realize the Spruance is not for amphib assualt, just parralleling the power of the propulsion systems. The American version of the jet propulsion system is made by a company called Arneson(sp?). The power it takes to propell a ship to current speeds is mind blowing...