I was thumbing through my print copy of Computerworld, and I read an article (apparently not available on line) that referenced this brief photo essay on a new vessel in the Navy's fleet: the USS Swift (HSV-2).
February 19, 2004: After five months of testing the USS Swift (HSV 2), the navy is eager to get more ships of this type. The Swift is a twin hulled catamaran, designed and built in Australia and is the second ship of the type used by the navy. The Swift was built in ten months. The HSV (High Speed Vessel) is actually a small ship, 320 feet long and displaces 1900 tons. It can carry up to 800 tons of cargo and has airline style seating for 300 troops, although up to 600 can be carried. The cargo can include vehicles of up to 70 tons each, including M-1 tanks. Vehicles are driven on and off. There is a trade off between tonnage carried, and speed and range. The twin hull design is also slowed down quite a bit in rough seas. The HSV would have a rough time of it in the violent seas common in the north Atlantic or Pacific. But in coastal waters, it is an excellent high speed transport.
As you can see in the photo, the Swift has a helo pad aft, and it can carry two UH-60 or CH-46 helos.
Manning the ship is something completely new. It can get away with a crew as small as 20, but the Swift has a total of 40 officers and sailors with accommodations for up to 51. The galley can feed up to 150, but I'm not sure how that matches up with the "seating for 300, although up to 600 can be carried" statement. The troops apparently won't be aboard that long. Or maybe they'll bring their MREs with them.
