70-573: Choctaw County is the name of several counties in the United States: It is also the name of a Spearhead-class United States Navy ship. Spearhead-class joint high speed vessel The Spearhead -class expeditionary fast transport ( EPF ) is a United States Navy –led shipbuilding program to provide a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intra-theater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The EPFs can reach speeds of 35–45 knots (65–83 km/h; 40–52 mph), and allow
140-561: A Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) . The EPF has no weapons or defensive systems to fulfill combat missions, but the Navy is looking to expand its roles to include re-supplying special operations forces and conducting humanitarian assistance missions. Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert has suggested using the ships as a cheaper way to perform counter-piracy missions to free up blue-water combatants. Offensive armament and defensive measures against pirates would be handled by
210-541: A troop transport for an infantry battalion . The EPF has a flight deck for helicopters and a load ramp that will allow vehicles to quickly drive on and off the ship. The ramp is suitable for the types of austere piers and quay walls common in developing countries. EPF has a shallow draft (under 15 feet (4.6 m)). The EPF is an aluminum twin-hull catamaran shell containing four diesel engines , rudimentary facilities for up to 40 crew members, and 312 airline-style passenger seats, with an expansive flight deck on
280-469: A well deck to launch amphibious vehicles, and lack of "splash capability" to drive vehicles off the ramp into the sea. The ship has been rejected as a platform on which to base MV-22 Ospreys due to its weight, and potential flight deck damage from engines during take-off and landing. The USMC is investigating changes to the EPF ramp to enable the "splash capability" for placing Amphibious Combat Vehicles into
350-633: A contract from the US Department of Defense to carry out the detailed design, procurement, production implementation, and demonstration of autonomous capability in EPF-13. In June 2011, a fifty-ton module was damaged at the Austal shipyard in Mobile during the construction of USNS Choctaw County . In 2013 a Frost & Sullivan report predicted that sales could be made to APAC countries. During operations in 2015,
420-527: A contract to design and construct EPF-11 and EPF-12. In February 2018, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer announced the name of T-EPF-12 as Newport . Congress allocated money for a 13th Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) in the FY 2018 budget, and a 14th EPF in the FY 2019 budget. In October 2018, the navy awarded Austal a $ 57.8 million order to fund the procurement of long lead-time materials, which included diesel engines, water jets and reduction gears, for
490-600: A cost of $ 350k-$ 1.2M each. The remaining ships which are still various stages of construction will require upgrading following construction as well. In early 2014, Austal announced it had been awarded a $ 124.9 million contract for two High Speed Support Vessels (HSSV) for a foreign customer, later revealed to be the Royal Navy of Oman . The HSSV has a similar catamaran hull design as the EPF and supports naval operations including helicopter operations, rapid deployment of military personnel and cargo, and search and rescue missions. It
560-540: 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 , the lead ship in the class, was launched in September 2011 and delivered to
630-449: A higher-level facility. They can respond faster, and to more places than the Navy's larger, slower and unarmed hospital ships . The EPF Flight II design includes upgrades to the medical facilities for resuscitation and surgery, enhanced support of V-22 flight operations, and enhanced launch and recovery of 11-meter rigid inflatable boats. In January 2023, the Navy announced that three Expeditionary Medical Ships (EMS) had been approved in
700-563: A link between fleet commanders and the General Board, Ship Movements coordinated the movement of Navy vessels and oversaw navy yard overhauls, Communications accounted for the Navy's developing radio network, Publicity conducted the Navy's public affairs, and the Materiel section coordinated the work of the naval bureaus. Numbering only 75 staffers in January 1917, OPNAV increased in size following
770-476: A military administrative authority under the secretary, whose purpose would be to initiate and direct the steps necessary to carry out the Department's policy, and to coordinate the work of the bureaus and direct their energies toward the effective preparation of the fleet for war. However, reorganization attempts were opposed by Congress due to fears of a Prussian-style general staff and inadvertently increasing
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#1732854544389840-471: A powerful, aggressive CNO sharing authority with the Navy secretary, Benson demonstrated personal loyalty to Secretary Daniels and subordinated himself to civilian control, yet maintained the CNO's autonomy where necessary. While alienating reformers like Sims and Fiske (who retired in 1916), Benson's conduct gave Daniels immense trust in his new CNO, and Benson was delegated greater resources and authority. Among
910-432: A security team on board, and an EPF's speed would also be a good defense against an attack by pirates. After various tests to explore the EPF's suitability to perform different missions, the ship was found to perform its primary role of intra-theater transport effectively, but had extreme difficulty in carrying out other suggested missions. When performing at-sea transfers of equipment with a Mobile Landing Platform (MLP),
980-595: A term of four years by the President, by and with the advice of the Senate, who, under the Secretary of the Navy, shall be responsible for the readiness of the Navy for war and be charged with its general direction. In contrast, Daniels' version, included in the final bill, emphasized the office's subordination to the Navy secretary, allowed for the selection of the CNO from officers of the rank of captain, and denied it authority over
1050-812: A trip to Europe as the 1918 armistice with Germany was signed. His stance that the United States remain equal to Great Britain in naval power was very useful to House and Wilson, enough for Wilson to insist Benson remain in Europe until after the Treaty of Versailles was signed in July 1919. Benson's tenure as CNO was slated to end on 10 May 1919, but this was delayed by the president at Secretary Daniels' insistence; Benson instead retired on 25 September 1919. Admiral Robert Coontz replaced Benson as CNO on 1 November 1919. The CNO's office faced no significant changes in authority during
1120-407: A weaker relationship with President Franklin D. Roosevelt than Pratt enjoyed with Hoover. Often in direct conflict with Navy secretary Claude A. Swanson and assistant secretary Henry L. Roosevelt , Standley's hostility to the latter was described as "poisonous". Conversely, Standley successfully improved relations with Congress, streamlining communications between the Department of the Navy and
1190-659: Is 72.5 m (238 ft) long and can travel at 35 knots. An HSSV has a crew of 69 personnel with 69 berths, can seat another 250, and has a cargo capacity of 320 tonnes (350 short tons). Both are to be delivered by 2016. Austal launched the first HSSV, RNOV Al Mubshir , in October 2015 at its Henderson, Western Australia facility. It was delivered to Oman in May 2016. The Army and Navy have been operating HSVs for some time, including; Other ships of note; Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations ( CNO )
1260-514: Is a derivative of the Hawaii Superferry , also built by Austal USA . The EPF has a greater level of comfort for the crew than larger Navy ships. The stateroom-style berthing areas for the ship's crew have private features including toilet stalls, outlets, air conditioning, and thermostats. People being transported are less well catered for. They may live in " hot racking "-style living arrangements of available berthing bunks if necessary. There
1330-459: Is a statutory organization within the executive part of the Department of the Navy, and its purpose is to furnish professional assistance to the secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) and the CNO in carrying out their responsibilities. Under the authority of the CNO, the director of the Navy Staff ( DNS ) is responsible for day-to-day administration of the Navy Staff and coordination of the activities of
1400-400: Is no ship's store in the typical Navy sense of the term, but the ship's captain may unlock the "slop chest" and sell ship's coins and other ship-specific paraphernalia on a case-by-case basis. The ship is unstable in rough seas and at high speeds. At 10 knots in calm sea states the hull can roll up to four degrees to each side, while conventional ships would roll very little. This increases if
1470-673: Is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy . The position is a statutory office ( 10 U.S.C. § 8033 ) held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy . The CNO is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( 10 U.S.C. § 151 ) and in this capacity, a military adviser to the National Security Council , the Homeland Security Council ,
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#17328545443891540-481: The 2023 military budget . They will be Bethesda , Balboa , and the to-be-named T-EMS-3 . These are planned to be about 118 metres (387 ft) versus the earlier ships 103 metres (338 ft), and have a draft of 4.5 metres (15 ft) for operations in "austere ports". The EMS will have four operating rooms and 124 medical beds, separated into acute care, acute isolation, ICU , and ICU isolation spaces. Two 11-meter rigid-hulled inflatable boats allow for
1610-492: The American entry into World War I , as it was deemed of great importance to manage the rapid mobilization of forces to fight in the war. By war's end, OPNAV employed over 1462 people. The CNO and OPNAV thus gained influence over Navy administration but at the expense of the Navy secretary and bureau chiefs. In 1918, Benson became a military advisor to Edward M. House , an advisor and confidant of President Wilson, joining him on
1680-573: The General Board holding only advisory powers. Critics of the lack of military command authority included Charles J. Bonaparte , Navy secretary from 1905 to 1906, then-Captain Reginald R. Belknap and future admiral William Sims . Rear Admiral George A. Converse , commander of the Bureau of Navigation (BuNav) from 1905 to 1906, reported: [W]ith each year that passes the need is painfully apparent for
1750-470: The Great Depression . Under Pratt, such a "treaty system" was needed to maintain a compliant peacetime navy. Pratt opposed centralized management of the Navy, and encouraged diversity of opinion between the offices of the Navy secretary, CNO and the Navy's General Board. To this effect, Pratt removed the CNO as an ex officio member of the General Board, concerned that the office's association with
1820-548: The Senate . A requirement for being Chief of Naval Operations is having significant experience in joint duty assignments, which includes at least one full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment as a flag officer. However, the president may waive those requirements if he determines that appointing the officer is necessary for the national interest. The chief can be reappointed to serve one additional term, but only during times of war or national emergency declared by Congress. By statute,
1890-453: The secretary of defense , and the president . Despite the title, the CNO does not have operational command authority over naval forces. The CNO is an administrative position based in the Pentagon , and exercises supervision of Navy organizations as the designee of the secretary of the Navy. Operational command of naval forces falls within the purview of the combatant commanders who report to
1960-646: The Board could hamper diversities of opinion between the former and counterparts within the offices of the Navy secretary and OPNAV. Pratt's vision of a less powerful CNO also clashed with Representative Carl Vinson of Georgia , chair of the House Naval Affairs Committee from 1931 to 1947, a proponent of centralizing power within OPNAV. Vinson deliberately delayed many of his planned reorganization proposals until Pratt's replacement by William H. Standley to avoid
2030-459: The CNO into the ship design process. Swanson's ill health and assistant secretary Henry Roosevelt's death on 22 February 1936 gave Leahy unprecedented influence. Leahy had private lunches with the President frequently; during his tenure as CNO, Roosevelt had 52 meetings with him, compared with 12 with his Army counterpart, General Malin Craig , none of which were private lunches. Leahy retired from
2100-549: The CNO is appointed as a four-star admiral . As per 10 U.S.C. § 8035 , whenever there is a vacancy for the chief of naval operations or during the absence or disability of the chief of naval operations, and unless the president directs otherwise, the vice chief of naval operations performs the duties of the chief of naval operations until a successor is appointed or the absence or disability ceases. The CNO also performs all other functions prescribed under 10 U.S.C. § 8033 , such as presiding over
2170-412: The EPF as a low-cost ship for performing drug interdiction missions around Central and South America. U.S. Southern Command is experiencing a shortage of Coast Guard cutters available to interdict drug runners due to ship age and budget cuts. In May 2013, HSV-2 Swift conducted a drug interdiction patrol, showing that an aluminum catamaran was capable of performing the role. An EPF is capable of embarking
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2240-416: The EPF ramp used for vehicle transfers could not effectively operate with it in open ocean sea states of 2–3, and was determined to only be able to work in calm sea states found in protected harbors, an unacceptable constraint for operational deployment. The Navy has been aware of the current ramp's limitations and is developing one for use in up to sea states 3–4. When deploying a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV),
2310-516: The EPF's stern-mounted crane could launch it in up to sea state 3 conditions, but support surface craft were needed to get divers into the underwater vehicle, which could only be launched in sea state 2. The electronic systems for this class are provided by General Dynamics Mission Systems . The infrastructure integrates the ship's electronic systems including: computing environment, internal and external communications, electronic navigation, aviation and armament systems, remote surveillance system, plus
2380-535: The Navy awarded its final option under its current contract, and ordered EPF-10. In April 2013, the EPF program was added to the remit of the Littoral Combat Ship Council, so that the capabilities of both ship types could be considered together. In 2014, the USN considered outsourcing the management of the fleet, but concluded that the ships would continue to be manned by civil service mariners. Funding for
2450-458: The Navy in early 2012. The Navy expected to purchase 23 EPF vessels over 30 years. On 2 May 2011, all Army JHSVs were transferred to the Navy. In June 2011, Austal was awarded construction contracts for EPF-6 and EPF-7. In February 2012, Austal was awarded construction contracts for EPF-8 and EPF-9. On 5 December 2012, the first ship in the class, USNS Spearhead , was delivered to Military Sealift Command in Mobile, Alabama. On 10 December 2012,
2520-535: The Navy on 1 August 1939 to become Governor of Puerto Rico , a month before the invasion of Poland . Number One Observatory Circle , located on the northeast grounds of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, was built in 1893 for its superintendent. The chief of naval operations liked the house so much that in 1923 he took over the house as his own official residence . It remained
2590-644: The Navy secretary. The aide for operations was deemed by Meyer to be the most important one, responsible for devoting "his entire attention and study to the operations of the fleet," and drafting orders for the movement of ships on the advice of the General Board and approval of the secretary in times of war or emergency. The successes of Meyer's first operations aide, Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright , factored into Meyer's decision to make his third operations aide, Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske his de facto principal advisor on 10 February 1913. Fiske retained his post under Meyer's successor, Josephus Daniels , becoming
2660-672: The Navy to prepare for World War II without breaking potential limits from future arms control conferences. The Act also granted the CNO "soft oversight power" of the naval bureaus which nominally lay with the secretary of the Navy, as Standley gradually inserted OPNAV into the ship design process. Under Standley, the "treaty system" created by Pratt was abandoned. Outgoing commander, Battle Force William D. Leahy succeeded Standley as CNO on 2 January 1937. Leahy's close personal friendship with President Roosevelt since his days as Navy assistant secretary , as well as good relationships with Representative Vinson and Secretary Swanson brought him to
2730-551: The Navy's fleet commanders. In the waning years of his tenure, Benson set regulations for officers on shore duty to have temporary assignments with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to maintain cohesion between the higher-level staff and the fleet. Until 1916, the CNO's office was chronically understaffed. The formal establishment of the CNO's "general staff", the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV), originally called
2800-413: The Navy's general direction: There shall be a Chief of Naval Operations, who shall be an officer on the active list of the Navy appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from the officers of the line of the Navy not below the grade of Captain for a period of four years, who shall, under the direction of the Secretary, be charged with the operations of the fleet, and with
2870-551: The Office for Operations, was exacerbated by Eugene Hale's retirement from politics in 1911, and skepticism of whether the CNO's small staff could implement President Wilson's policy of "preparedness" without violating American neutrality in World War I. By June 1916, OPNAV was organized into eight divisions: Operations, Plans, Naval Districts; Regulations; Ship Movements; Communications; Publicity; and Materiel. Operations provided
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2940-451: The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV), exercising supervision of Navy organizations , and other duties assigned by the secretary or higher lawful authority, or the CNO delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in OPNAV or in organizations below. Acting for the secretary of the Navy, the CNO also designates naval personnel and naval forces available to the commanders of unified combatant commands , subject to
3010-632: The aides system promulgated under Meyer. Captain William S. Benson was promoted to the temporary rank of rear admiral and became the first CNO on 11 May 1915. He further assumed the rank of admiral after the passage of the 1916 Naval Appropriations Bill with Fiske's amendments, second only to Admiral of the Navy George Dewey and explicitly senior to the commanders-in-chief of the Atlantic, Pacific and Asiatic Fleets. Unlike Fiske, who had campaigned for
3080-605: The approval of the secretary of defense. The CNO is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as prescribed by 10 U.S.C. § 151 and 10 U.S.C. § 8033 . Like the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CNO is an administrative position, with no operational command authority over the United States Navy forces. Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, individually or collectively, in their capacity as military advisers, shall provide advice to
3150-453: The authority of the CNO. Benson also revamped the structure of the naval districts , transferring authority for them from SECNAV to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations under the Operations, Plans, Naval Districts division. This enabled closer cooperation between naval district commanders and the uniformed leadership, who could more easily handle communications between the former and
3220-522: The chairman to the president, NSC, or SECDEF. When performing her JCS duties, the CNO is responsible directly to the SECDEF, but keeps SECNAV fully informed of significant military operations affecting the duties and responsibilities of the SECNAV, unless SECDEF orders otherwise. In 1900, administrative and operational authority over the Navy was concentrated in the secretary of the Navy and bureau chiefs , with
3290-540: The construction of an eleventh EPF was appropriated by Congress in the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. In May 2016, the procurement of long-lead-time material and initial engineering support for the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) 12, formerly Joint High Speed Vessel 12, was announced under the Naval Sea Systems Command's contracting activity. In September 2016, Austal was awarded
3360-446: The construction of the 13th EPF. In December 2018, the navy awarded Austal a $ 40.4 million order to fund the procurement of long lead-time materials, which included diesel engines, water jets and reduction gears, for the construction of the 14th EPF. In March 2019, the Navy awarded Austal a $ 262 million contract for the design and construction of two additional Expeditionary Fast Transport Ships, EPF-13 and EPF-14. This follows
3430-494: The entertainment & training system. The same General Dynamics OPEN CI is used on the Independence -class littoral combat ship , also built by Austal USA . Marine Corps General John M. Paxton, Jr. called the EPF "a very capable ship" for certain missions, but cites several deficiencies as a substitute amphibious assault ship, including inability to operate in difficult sea states, survivability in contested waters, lack of
3500-570: The fifth Chief of Naval Operations on 17 September 1930, after the resignation of Charles F. Hughes . He had previously served as assistant chief of naval operations under CNO Benson. A premier naval policymaker and supporter of arms control under the Washington Naval Treaty, Pratt, despite otherwise good relations, clashed with President Herbert Hoover over building up naval force strength to treaty levels, with Hoover favoring restrictions in spending due to financial difficulties caused by
3570-405: The first ship of the class, USNS Spearhead , experienced bow damage from rough seas requiring more than a half-million dollars (USD) to repair. It was determined that a design change that Austal recommended to the Navy late in the design phase to save weight, has resulted in a weakened bow structure. The first five ships in the class will require additional work done to improve the superstructure, at
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#17328545443893640-462: The forefront of potential candidates for the post. Unlike Standley, who tried to dominate the bureaus, Leahy preferred to let the bureau chiefs function autonomously as per convention, with the CNO acting as a primus inter pares . Leahy's views of the CNO's authority led to clashes with his predecessor; Standley even attempted to block Leahy from being assigned a fleet command in retaliation. Leahy, on his part, continued Standley's efforts to insert
3710-413: The full House Committee on Naval Affairs on 6 January. Fiske's younger supporters expected him to be named the first chief of naval operations, and his versions of the bill provided for the minimum rank of the officeholder to be a two-star rear admiral. There shall be a Chief of Naval Operations, who shall be an officer on the active list of the Navy not below the grade of Rear Admiral, appointed for
3780-557: The interwar period, largely due to the Navy secretaries opting to keep executive authority within their own office. Innovations during this period included encouraging coordination in war planning process, and compliance with the Washington Naval Treaty while still keeping to the shipbuilding plan authorized by the Naval Act of 1916 . and implementing the concept of naval aviation into naval doctrine. William V. Pratt became
3850-477: The long lead-time materials contracts awarded in October 2018, of $ 57.8M for EPF-13, and $ 40.4M in December 2018 for EPF-14. Construction of EPF-13 is scheduled to begin in late 2019, and EPF-14 is to follow in the middle of 2020. In February 2021, the U.S. Navy awarded Austal a $ 235 million contract for the detailed design and construction of EPF-15. EPF-15 will include enhanced medical capability. Austal USA secured
3920-593: The most prominent advocate for what would become the office of CNO. In 1914, Fiske, frustrated at Daniels' ambivalence towards his opinion that the Navy was unprepared for the possibility of entry into World War I , bypassed the secretary to collaborate with Representative Richmond P. Hobson , a retired Navy admiral, to draft legislation providing for the office of "a chief of naval operations". The preliminary proposal (passed off as Hobson's own to mask Fiske's involvement), in spite of Daniels' opposition, passed Hobson's subcommittee unanimously on 4 January 1915, and passed
3990-446: The naval armament of the United States within the limitation so agreed upon, except that such suspension shall not apply to vessels actually under construction on the date of the passage of this act. ” This effectively provided security for all Navy vessels under construction; even if new shipbuilding projects could not be initiated, shipbuilders with new classes under construction could not legally be obliged to cease operations, allowing
4060-544: The naval oversight committees by appointing the first naval legislative liaisons, the highest-ranked of which reported to the judge advocate general . Standley also worked with Representative Vinson to pass the Vinson-Trammell Act, considered by Standley to be his most important achievement as CNO. The Act authorized the President: “to suspend” construction of the ships authorized by the law “ as may be necessary to bring
4130-469: The organizational efforts initiated or recommended by Benson included an advisory council to coordinate high-level staff activities, composed of himself, the SECNAV and the bureau chiefs which "worked out to the great satisfaction" of Daniels and Benson; the reestablishment of the Joint Army and Navy Board in 1918 with Benson as its Navy member; and the consolidation of all matters of naval aviation under
4200-563: The powers of the Navy secretary, which risked infringing on legislative authority. Senator Eugene Hale , chairman of the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs , disliked reformers like Sims and persistently blocked attempts to bring such ideas to debate. To circumvent the opposition, George von Lengerke Meyer , Secretary of the Navy under William Howard Taft implemented a system of "aides" on 18 November 1909. These aides lacked command authority and instead served as principal advisors to
4270-468: The preparation and readiness of plans for its use in war. Fiske's " end-running " of Daniels eliminated any possibility of him being named the first CNO. Nevertheless, satisfied with the change he had helped enact, Fiske made a final contribution: elevating the statutory rank of the CNO to admiral with commensurate pay. The Senate passed the appropriations bill creating the CNO position and its accompanying office on 3 March 1915, simultaneously abolishing
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#17328545443894340-448: The president, the National Security Council (NSC), or the secretary of defense (SECDEF) on a particular matter when the president, the NSC, or SECDEF requests such advice. Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (other than the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ) may submit to the chairman advice or an opinion in disagreement with, or advice or an opinion in addition to, the advice presented by
4410-423: The rapid transit and deployment of conventional or special forces, equipment and supplies. The vessels are a part of Military Sealift Command 's Sealift Program. The class was previously designated as " Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) ", and redesignated in September 2015. The EPF is able to transport U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps company -sized units with their vehicles, or can be reconfigured to become
4480-581: The residence of the CNO until 1974, when Congress authorized its transformation to an official residence for the vice president . The chief of naval operations currently resides in Quarters A in the Washington Naval Yard . The chief of naval operations presides over the Navy Staff , formally known as the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations ( OPNAV ). The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
4550-451: The secretary of defense. The current chief of naval operations is Lisa Franchetti , who was sworn in on November 2, 2023. The chief of naval operations (CNO) is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty in the U.S. Navy unless the chairman and/or the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are naval officers. The CNO is nominated for appointment by the president, for a four-year term of office, and must be confirmed by
4620-600: The ship goes faster or in rougher conditions, raising the possibility of seasickness . To achieve its top speed the ship has to be traveling in waters not exceeding sea state 3, waves up to 1.25 m (4.1 ft) high. At sea state 4 it can travel at up to 15 knots, at only 5 knots in sea state 5, and has to hold position in any higher sea state. This reflects the ship's purpose of operating close to shore rather than in "blue water". As of 2014 , an EPF costs $ 180 million to build and has an annual operating cost of $ 26 million. The U.S. 4th Fleet has expressed interest in using
4690-587: The top. The rest of the vessel is a convertible 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m ) mission bay that can be loaded to carry any cargo. Vehicles and cargo are loaded and unloaded by a ramp that can support up to 100 tons of weight. Although designed for a military crew of 46, the ships usually have a crew of 26. The passenger room contains reclining seats with overhead televisions and racks for weapons and equipment. Each vessel has 104 permanent berthing spaces. Without resupply, it can support 312 embarked personnel for four days, or 104 personnel for 14 days. The design
4760-540: The transfer of patients from other ships or water rescue; the flight deck has room for a single V-22 , or an H-53 or H-60 helicopter. USNS Bethesda (T-EMS-1) is planned for delivery by December 2026. The EPF 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 EPF program received Milestone A approval in May 2006. The Navy awarded Phase One preliminary design contracts in early 2008, and
4830-418: The unnecessary delays that would otherwise have happened with Pratt. Pratt also enjoyed a good working relationship with Army chief of staff Douglas MacArthur , and negotiated several key agreements with him over coordinating their services' radio communications networks, mutual interests in coastal defense, and authority over Army and Navy aviation. William H. Standley , who succeeded Pratt in 1933, had
4900-429: The water near the shore. A single EPF could carry and deploy 20 to 30 ACVs. Beginning with EPF-14, the ships will be designated as EPF Flight II, with increased health services capabilities while still maintaining most of the original mission of the ship. The Flight II variant is designed to bring enhanced medical capabilities at the request of Combatant Commanders, and allows patients to recover onboard rather than in
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