T-EPF-9 City of Bismarck
US Navy Expeditionary Fast Transport. The Spearhead class EPFs are high speed, shallow draft ships used for troop transport and humanitarian missions. Ship's design is based on civilian high speed catamaran ferries. The ships are built to commercial and not military standards.
Spearhead class is optimized for littoral waters. Their top speed of ~45 kts can only be achieved in sea state 3 or less. At higher sea states the top speed is reduced and at anything over sea state 5 the ship must heave to.
They can carry a company of troops with their vehicles-- note the vehicle ramp at the stern of the ship. If vehicles are not carried, an EPF can be reconfigured for a battalion of troops, using airliner-style seating.
Without resupply, it can transport a company for 14 days, or a battalion for 4 days. However, there are only 100 or so berths, so if more personnel are carried, some sort of hotbunk arrangement would be needed.
There is also a helicopter landing deck, although there is no hangar on the ship.
Currently there are 13 EPFs, with another 6 under construction or on order.
T-EPF-9 City of Bismarck
US Navy Expeditionary Fast Transport. The Spearhead class EPFs are high speed, shallow draft ships used for troop transport and humanitarian missions. Ship's design is based on civilian high speed catamaran ferries. The ships are built to commercial and not military standards.
Spearhead class is optimized for littoral waters. Their top speed of ~45 kts can only be achieved in sea state 3 or less. At higher sea states the top speed is reduced and at anything over sea state 5 the ship must heave to.
They can carry a company of troops with their vehicles-- note the vehicle ramp at the stern of the ship. If vehicles are not carried, an EPF can be reconfigured for a battalion of troops, using airliner-style seating.
Without resupply, it can transport a company for 14 days, or a battalion for 4 days. However, there are only 100 or so berths, so if more personnel are carried, some sort of hotbunk arrangement would be needed.
There is also a helicopter landing deck, although there is no hangar on the ship.
Currently there are 13 EPFs, with another 6 under construction or on order.