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U.S. Navy expands Expeditionary Medical Capability with two EPFs

At sea air space 2021, austal showcased a new expeditionary fast transport (epf) medical ship concept intended to replace the current and aging usns mercy (t-ah-19) and usns comfort (t-ah-20), two ships converted from oil tankers into hospital ships that are about 35 years old. naval news asked the u.s. navy for more information regarding the future replacements for the t-ah hospital ships and what the u.s. navy intends to do for expanded expeditionary shipborne medical coverage..

Peter Ong 05 Sep 2021

Naval News provided video coverage of the Austal USA’s new Medical Expeditionary Ship concept at Sea Air Space 2021.

SEAPOWER magazine reported the news on the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPFs) having expanded medical capabilities. According to SEAPOWER , the modified EPFs will have “ significant structural changes’ for medical facilities, including an 18-bed intensive care unit, two operating rooms, and feeding and berthing for a medical team of about 100 personnel. Its flight deck would be capable of landing helicopters and V-22 tiltrotor aircraft.”

Naval News reached out to the U.S. Navy’s Chief of Information Department (CHINFO) in August 2021 for more details.  U.S. Navy Lieutenant Lewis Aldridge of CHINFO replied by stating:

“The Navy continues to expand Role 2 afloat medical capability through construction of USNS Cody (EPF 14) and Point Loma (EPF 15).  Role 2 provides limited hospital capability consisting of advanced resuscitation and surgery.  The Navy also continues the sustainment of the two T-AH hospital ships, which offer Role 3 medical capability.  Role 3 provides full, but short-term, hospital capability, consisting of surgery, intensive care, postoperative care, and specialty care.”

The U.S. Navy has confirmed the expanded medical capabilities of EPF 14 here and for EPF 15 here.

Naval News Comments

For purely speculative analysis , to give an idea of the impressive medical capabilities the two USNS (T-AH) Mercy -class ships provide, consider these impressive statistics on the USNS Mercy :

Patient capacity:

• Intensive care wards: 80 beds
• Recovery wards: 20 beds
• Intermediate care wards: 280 beds
• Light care wards: 120 beds
• Limited care wards: 500 beds
• Total patient capacity: 1000 beds
• Operating rooms: 12

Departments and facilities:

• Casualty reception
• Radiological services including CT
• Main laboratory plus satellite lab
• Central sterile processing
• Medical supply/pharmacy
• Physical therapy and burn care
• Intensive care unit
• Dental services
• Optometry/lens lab
• Burn treatment
• Angiography
• Oxygen producing plants (two)”

As Naval News reported previously, information released during Sea Air Space 2021 shows that the current EMS design is a 118 meters-long catamaran with a beam of 30 meters and a draft of 4.5 meters. The Austal’s hospital ship can sail over 2,000 nautical miles at a cruise speed of 18 knots and can reach a top speed of 27 knots. It features a helicopter deck large enough to accommodate one V-22 Osprey, a CH-53 Sea Stallion or a Sikorsky H-60. The ship has a total of 185 berthing including the crew, medical and aviation personnel.

Regarding its medical facilities, the EMS would have 124 medical beds in total including four operating rooms, 8 isolation beds, 32 light care beds and 80 ER, ACW, ICU and recovery beds.

The intended goal of the medical EPFs will be to build enough of them to provide faster and closer expeditionary medical relief in multiple areas of the world compared to relying on just the two T-AH hospital ships, USNS Mercy, stationed on the West Coast, and USNS Comfort, stationed on the East Coast of the United States. 

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Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF)

In November 2008, Austal was awarded a contract to design and construct the first 103-meter Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) - now known as Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) - with options for nine additional ships. The current contract for 15 ships is valued at over $1.9 billion.

The Spearhead-class EPF provides high-speed, high-payload transport capability to the Combatant Commanders. The EPF's large, open mission deck and large habitability spaces provide the opportunity to conduct a wide range of missions which currently include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), UAV mother ship, and command and control missions in addition to engagement and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief missions to the possibility of supporting future missions such as special operations support. With its ability to access small, minor, and degraded ports with minimal external support, the EPF provides unique options to Fleet and Combatant Commanders.

EPF 14 is the first ship of the program that will follow the specifications of the Flight II design.  Building on the tremendous utility of the EPF platform, Flight II provides a Role 2E medical capability.  The EPF's catamaran design provides inherent stability to allow surgeons to perform underway medical procedures in an onboard operating suite. Enhanced capabilities to support V-22 flight operations and launch and recover 11 meter rigid inflatable boats (RIB) complement the ship’s medical facilities. These Flight II upgrades along with EPF’s speed, maneuverability, and shallow water access are key enablers for future Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations around the world.  

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• Range 1200nm at 35knots
• Payload 544MT
• Crew Accommodations Crew berthing for 41, embarked troop berthing for 104 and airline style seating for 312 at 5.25 ft seating pitch
• Troop Seats 312
• Draft 3.8m. Superior Draft for Austere Port Access
• Aviation Capability CH-53E capable flight deck
• Loading Ramp Proven Austere Loading Ramp Arrangement. Supports M1A2 Abrams tanks
• Mission Deck Open Unobstructed Mission Deck. Usable Cargo Area of more than 1800 m2 (Clear height of 4.75 m and turning diameter of 26.21 m)
• Motion Control Superior Motion Characteristics. Active motion control system with 4 control surfaces
• Fuel Consumption Superior Fuel Efficiency to reduce operating costs. Proven MTU 8000 engines as used on LCS
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Expeditionary Fast Transport (T-EPF)

The US Navy's Expeditionary Fast Transport (T-EPF) program is procuring 15 high-speed transport vessels from Austal for the fast, intra-theater transportation of troops, military vehicles and equipment with aviation support.

This customised, non-combatant vessel, designed in Australia and constructed in the USA, leverages Austal's world-leading commercial passenger vessel design technology to deliver a unique platform that is redefining naval capability. Significant production and financial risks have been avoided by implementing proven technology, ensuring stable requirements, minimizing change and through the relentless pursuit of cost reduction and efficiency. The vessels are being built to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) High Speed Naval Craft Guide.

The 103 metre T-EPF is capable of transporting 600 short tons up to 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. The ships can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interface with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-load a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank (M1A2).

The EPF includes a flight deck for helicopter operations and an off-load ramp that allows vehicles to quickly drive off the ship. The ramp is suitable for the types of austere piers and quay walls common in developing countries. EPF’s shallow draft further enhances littoral operations and port access. This makes the EPF an extremely flexible asset for support of a wide range of military and other (humanitarian and disaster relief) operations to small or damaged ports.

EPFs have a core crew of 21 people, with airline style seating for more than 312 embarked forces and fixed berthing for 146.

US Military Sealift Command (MSC) operates and sustains the 14 x EPFs ordered by the US Navy, including;

• USNS Speahead (T-EPF-1)
• USNS Choctaw County (T-EPF-2)
• USNS Millinocket (T-EPF-3)
• USNS Fall River (T-EPF-4)
• USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5)
• USNS Brunswick (T-EPF-6)
• USNS Carson City (T-EPF-7)
• USNS Yuma (T-EPF-8)
• USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF-9)
• USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10)
• USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF-11)
• USNS Newport (T-EPF-12)
• the future USNS Apalachicola (T-EPF-13)
• the future USNS Cody (T-EPF-14)
• the future USNS Point Loma (T-EPF-15)

Link to Datasheet for the Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS):

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• Range 1200nm at 35knots
• Payload 635MT
• Crew Accommodations Embarked troop berthing for 150 troops and airline style seating for 312 Troops at 5.25 ft seating pitch
• Troop Seats 312
• Draft 3.8m. Superior Draft for Austere Port Access
• Aviation Capability CH-53E capable flight deck
• Loading Ramp Proven Austere Loading Ramp Arrangement. Supports M1A2 Abrams tanks
• Mission Deck Open Unobstructed Mission Deck. Usable Cargo Area of more than 1800 m2 (Clear height of 4.75 m and turning diameter of 26.21 m)
• Motion Control Superior Motion Characteristics. Active motion control system with 4 control surfaces
• Fuel Consumption Superior Fuel Efficiency to reduce operating costs. Proven MTU 8000 engines as used on LCS and Hawaii Superferry

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Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport Vessels

Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ships are built by Austal USA as part of the EPF programme initiated by the US Navy.

Military Sealift Command (MSC)

Displacement

Maximum speed.

Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ships, previously known as Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV), are being built by Austal USA as part of the EPF programme initiated by the US Navy.

Operated by the Military Sealift Command, the EPF vessels support joint or coalition force operations of the army and navy.

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The main roles of the vessels are the transportation of troops, military vehicles, cargo and equipment for a range of global missions. They will also support military logistics and humanitarian relief operations.

Development and construction of the JHSV

The preliminary design contract for the EPF programme was awarded in February 2008. The programme initially called for five EPF vessels to be delivered to the army, as well as five to the Navy and Marine Corps.

In November 2008, the US Navy placed a $185.4m contract for the detailed design and construction of an EPF, with options for up to nine additional ships. The initial critical design review (ICDR) was completed by May 2009.

The first three vessels were named Spearhead T-EPF 1 (ex-JHSV 1), Vigilant (T-EPF 2) and Fortitude (T-EPF 3) in July 2009. Construction of Vigilant and Fortitude was authorised by the US Navy in January 2010.

The keel for the first ship in the class, USNS Spearhead (T-EPF-1), was laid at Austal’s shipyard at Mobile, Alabama, in July 2010. It was launched and christened as USNS Spearhead in September 2011. The ship successfully completed acceptance trials in September 2012 and was formally handed over to the US Navy in December 2012. The US Navy concluded initial operational testing and evaluation of T-EPF 1 in October 2013.

Construction of USNS Choctaw County (T-EPF-2) (ex-Vigilant) began in September 2010. In May 2011, the US Army transferred all five of its EPFs to the Navy. The T-EPF 2 was christened as USNS Choctaw County in September 2012 and launched in October 2012. The keel for the third EPF (now, Millinocket) was laid down in May 2012, and the vessel was launched in June 2013. Deliveries of the second and third EPFs took place in June 2013 and March 2014, respectively. The USNS Millinocket (T-EPF-3) participated in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014.

The keel-laying of the fourth EPF, Fall River, was held in May 2013, and the ship was launched in January 2014. Acceptance trials were completed in July 2014, and the vessel was delivered to the US Navy in September 2014. The keel for the fifth ship in the class, USNS Trenton (T-EPF 5) (ex-JHSV 5), was laid in March 2014, and the vessel was launched in September 2014. It was delivered to the US Navy in April 2015.

The US Navy exercised contract options for the construction of the sixth and seventh ships in July 2011. Construction of the sixth vessel, named USNS Brunswick (T-EPF 6) (ex-JHSV 6), commenced in January 2014, and the keel was laid in December 2014. The vessel was launched in May 2015 and delivered in January 2016. Construction on the seventh EPF, named Carson City, began in September 2014.

The keel of USNS Carson City (T-EPF-7) was laid in July 2015. The ship was launched in January 2016 and delivered in June of the same year.

The contract options for the construction of eighth and ninth EPFs were exercised in February 2012. The US Navy exercised the $166.9m contract option for the final vessel of the ten-ship programme in December 2012.

The eighth EPF, USNS Yuma, was launched in September 2016 and delivered in April 2017. The keel for USNS Bismarck (T-EPF-9) was laid in January 2017, and the vessel was launched in June 2017.

Austal USA was awarded a $326m contract by the US Navy to construct EPF 11 and EPF 12 in September 2016.

Joint High Speed Vessel design features

The EPF features rounded bilge and bulbous bow hull forms made of aluminium. The catamaran vessel is built to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards. On-board systems comply with the commercial ABS steel vessel regulations.

The ship does not feature combat systems or the ability to support or use LCS mission modules. EPF is based on commercial technology but includes limited military features, such as aviation, C4SI and fire-fighting.

The vessel has a length of 103m, beam of 28.5m and draft of 3.8m. The displacement of the ship is 2,362t.

The open unobstructed mission deck has a usable cargo area of more than 1,800m² with a clear height of 4.7m and turning diameter of 26.2m.

Performance and power of the US Navy ships

EPF can be operated in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on / roll-off discharge facilities and on / off-loading. The stern loading ramp can support an M1A2 Abrams main battle tank.

The ships can transport 635t of payload for more than 1,200nm at an average speed of 35k. EPF is manned by the civilian mariners provided by the Military Sealift Command. The vessel has a crew of approximately 42 people.

Aircraft capabilities of Austal USA’s JHSV

The EPF features a Navair level 1 class 2 certified flight deck to support the operations of one helicopter, such as a  CH-53E  Super Stallion.

The ship is equipped with a centreline parking area for one helicopter, vertical replenishment area and helicopter control station.

Kongsberg Maritime was contracted to supply the EPF’s helicopter operations surveillance system (HOSS).

Operated from the control room, the HOSS system allows helicopter operations in very low light conditions.

The system integrates a MIL-S-901D shock qualified 19in SXGA LCD monitor suitable for night vision device (NVD) operations.

JHSV propulsion and crew accommodation

EPF is powered by four MTU 20V8000 M71L diesel engines driving four Wartsila WLD 1400 SR waterjets with four ZF 60000NR2H reduction gears. Each engine rated at 9.1MW provides a maximum speed of 43k without payload. The propulsion system delivers superior fuel efficiency to reduce operating costs.

The ship provides accommodation for 42 crew members in two single staterooms, six double staterooms and seven four-bed staterooms. There is airline-style seating for more than 312 embarked forces, as well as permanent berths for approximately 104 personnel and temporary berths for 46 troops.

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The usa’s spearhead-class, expeditionary fast transports.

[youtube:v=PHd02bpHLqM]

March 20/19: Shipyad Availability Colonna Shipyards won an $8.9 million deal for an 80-day shipyard availability for the emergency dry-docking of Navy Ship Spearhead (T-EPF 1) . The Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport shipbuilding program to provide “a platform intended to support users in the Department of the Navy and Department of the Army. The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program is a cooperative effort for a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intratheater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) is a shallow draft, all aluminum, commercial-based catamaran capable of intra-theater personnel and cargo lift, providing combatant commanders high-speed sealift mobility with inherent cargo handling capability and agility to achieve positional advantage over operational distances. Work will take place in Norfolk, Virginia and is expected to be finished 2020.

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US Navy HSV 2 Swift Catamaran

HSV 2 Swift is one of US Military Sealift Command's two High- Speed Vessels and is part of the 26 ships in US Military Sealift Command's Prepositioning Program. HSV 2 Swift is capable of maintaining an average speed of 35 knots (65 km/h) or greater, loaded with 500 short tons, consisting of 350 personnel and military equipment. A minimum operating range of 1100 nautical miles (2,037 km) at 35 knots (65 km/h) was required by the contract, as was a minimum transit range of 4000 nautical miles (7,408 km) at an average speed of 20 knots (37 km/h). Furthermore, she is capable of 24 hour operations at slow speeds (3-10 knots) (6-19 km/h) for experimentation with unmanned autonomous vehicles, and to support dedicated and emerging organic mine warfare missions.

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Navy Wants To Sideline Its Fast Transport Catamarans As Pacific Fight Looms

Congress wants the Navy to stop reducing the readiness of its Spearhead class transports and to make a plan for them in the Pacific.

FranticGoat

Members of Congress are trying to block the Navy from putting just under half of its fleet of Spearhead class expeditionary fast transports into a state of reduced readiness with only skeleton crews assigned to them. Some of the vessels in question are very young, with one having first entered service just three years ago. This comes as the U.S. military is coming to terms with massive logistical hurdles if it were to go to war in the Pacific, which these fast, low-draft, multi-purpose vessels seem to be ideally suited for.

Because of this glaring disconnect, lawmakers are also pushing for a legal requirement for the service to develop and implement a formal concept of operations for utilizing these catamaran transport vessels in the Pacific.

Provisions relating to the Spearhead class ships are contained in the version of the annual defense policy bill, or National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), for Fiscal Year 2024 that the House of Representatives passed in July . The Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA that the Senate passed last month does not include any such language relating to these vessels, and the two chambers are now in the process of trying to reconcile their bills.

If the language found in the House bill makes it into the final NDAA for Fiscal Year 2024, and is then signed into law by President Joe Biden, the Navy would be prevented from using any funds to place Spearheads on so-called Reduced Operating Status (ROS). The service would also be required to "develop and implement a strategy and concept of operations for the use of expeditionary fast transport vessels in support of operational plans in the area of operations of United States Indo-Pacific Command" within 180 days of the law's passage. The Chief of Naval Operations would have 30 days to "submit to the congressional defense committees a report describing such [a] strategy and concept of operations."

In its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024 , the Navy outlined plans to transition five Spearheads – USNS Choctaw County , USNS Trenton , USNS Carson City , USNS Yuma , and USNS Newport – to ROS. The service says doing so would save it just under $17.6 million, which it could then redirect to other priorities. The oldest of these ships, USNS Choctaw County , entered service in 2013. The youngest of them, USNS Newport , was commissioned in 2020.

The Navy has already placed two Spearhead class ships, the USNS Spearhead and USNS Fall River , on ROS. The service has different tiers of ROS, but they all involve truncating a ship's assigned crew and reducing its readiness state. Officially, the Navy categorizes any ship on ROS that is capable of being reactivated within 45 days or less as inactive, but still on the rolls. Spearhead and Fall River are both reportedly being kept on so-called "ROS 45" status, the lowest level of 'inactive' readiness.

So, at least on paper, the Navy currently has 13 Spearhead class ships, also known by the abbreviation EPF. The first of these were commissioned in 2012. The latest of these ships, the USNS Apalachicola , just entered service in February of this year.

Leveraging its experience with commercial high-speed ferry designs, Australian shipbuilder Austal's U.S. subsidiary developed and built the Spearhead class ships , which typically have a crew of around 42 people. These aluminum-hulled vessels displace around 2,362 tons, can cruise at around 35 knots, have a top speed of some 43 knots, and are designed to be readily reconfigurable to the mission at hand. Each one has a multi-purpose 20,000 square-foot mission bay, as well as a rear flight deck able to accommodate various helicopters and a stern ramp for loading and unloading vehicles, personnel, and cargo.

Austal USA is in the process of building two additional Flight II Spearheads for the Navy and the service has a third one on order now. These Spearhead subvariants will have expanded medical capabilities and strengthened flight decks able to allow Osprey tilt-rotors to take off and land. The Navy is also looking to acquire a trio of Bethesda class expeditionary medical ships , a dedicated medical vessel variant derived from the Flight II Spearhead .

With all this in mind, it might seem odd that the Navy is now looking to significantly scale back its use of the Spearheads , which are currently assigned to its Military Sealift Command and are crewed by civilian mariners. However, the service's current plans for ships very much speak to their somewhat obtuse history and long-building uncertainty about their role and mission.

Officially, the current mission of the Spearhead class ships is to "provide high-speed, agile lift capability to deliver operationally ready units to small, austere ports and flexibly support a wide range of missions including humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, theater security cooperation, maritime domain awareness, and noncombatant evacuations," according to the Navy . "They enable the rapid transit and deployment of conventional and special forces, equipment, and supplies in support of maneuver and sustainment operations."

Originally known as Joint High-Speed Vessels (JHSV), the Spearhead class was a product of U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps requirements dating back to the early 2000s. Initially, there was an expectation that some of these ships would be operated by the Army itself as part of its obscure, but actually quite capable watercraft fleet, which you can read more about here .

In the 2000s, the Navy also chartered a number of commercial catamaran ferries to explore the potential utility of vessels like this in various combat and non-combat contexts, largely in support of the JHSV program. In 2012, the service also received two other Austal-designed ferries from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). Both of those ships, referred to as High-Speed Transports (HST), remain in inventory, though one has been on loan to a commercial ferry operator in Canada since 2016.

Over the past two decades or so, the Spearheads and their immediate predecessors have certainly demonstrated the ability to perform a wide array of missions. For instance, two of the earlier chartered catamaran ferries, known during their time in Navy service as the Joint Venture and Swift , were used in particularly novel roles, including as small special operations seabase ships and at sea-based launch platforms for tethered surveillance blimps.

The Spearhead class ships have also been explored as special operations support platforms, as well as floating forward-deployed repair facilities for smaller warships like Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). There has been talk in the past about potentially fitting these ships with more robust weapons. The Navy at one time planned to at least use one of the ships to test its now-defunct electromagnetic railgun . Austal has previously shown concept art of an uncrewed Spearhead derivative with arrays of vertical launch system cells for firing various kinds of missiles, too.

However, the Spearheads have still not seen significant integration into routine day-to-day Navy operations in the past decade and they have generally been used just as transports. The use of the USNS Millinocket recently to bring materiel to Australia in support of the Talisman Sabre 23 exercise reflects how these ships are generally employed at present.

As a prime example of apparent Navy disinterest in more novel applications of these ships, the recently delivered USNS Apalachicola has a full suite of systems to enable crew-optional operations, but the service has no current plans to make use of those capabilities. You can read more about this particular ship and its unique features here .

“I think one step at a time. In terms of that ship, it has the capability but we will integrate into fleet in a very deliberate manner,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told reporters at the WEST 2023 conference in February, according to USNI News . "We won’t have a deployment and unmanned and an unmanned deployment right off the bat."

There are certainly questions about the value of a commercial ferry-derived design in a future high-end conflict, such as one in the Pacific against China. Scenarios like this are dominating planning discussions across the U.S. military at present.

The potential vulnerability of ships like the Spearhead class was highlighted in 2016, one of the catamaran ferries the Navy had previously chartered, the ex- Swift , was destroyed by an anti-ship missile off the coast of Yemen. The vessel was in service with the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates at the time and was supporting operations against Yemen's Houthi rebels. What was left of the ship was subsequently towed to a port in Greece, where the hulk remains.

At the same time, even in the broader context of a larger-scale conflict, Spearhead class ships could still provide valuable intratheater sealift capacity in lower-threat environments or under a protective umbrella provided by other assets. This could also then help free up more robust sealift ships for use elsewhere.

In addition, the ability of the Spearhead class ships to be relatively rapidly reconfigured for different mission sets gives them additional flexibility. This could potentially include providing additional 'magazine depth' for kinetic strikes missions through the installation of modular weapon systems or the positioning of existing mobile launch systems on its stern flight deck, with targeting data fed in from offboard sources.

The video below shows a U.S. Marine Corps M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher being fired from the flight deck of a San Antonio class amphibious warfare ship.

Furthermore, the Navy itself has clearly identified the core Spearhead class design as a useful way of augmenting critical expeditionary medical capabilities.

All of this also comes amidst concerns that have been building for years now about the Navy's overall sealift capacity and its ability to surge additional assets , including ones held in various states of reduced readiness, in the event of a major conflict or contingency. Beyond that, the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as the Army , continue to have their specific requirements for lower-tier intratheater sealift support for combat and non-combat missions, particularly in the Pacific .

Just in the past few years, the U.S. Marine Corps has identified an all-new requirement for dozens of additional middle-tier transport vessels specifically to support its new expeditionary and distributed concepts of operation. The Expeditionary Advance Base Operations (EABO) concept centers heavily on the ability of Marine contingents to rapidly deploy to remote or austere locations , including in maritime and littoral environments , and then just as quickly redeploy elsewhere as required to reduce their vulnerability and otherwise make it difficult to opponents to respond effectively.

Spearhead class ships have been used to support counter-narcotics operations and to help shuttle U.S. military units around for various types of training exercises and other regional engagement activities in Latin America. They could provide a similarly useful 'presence' in the Pacific region.

Altogether, it is very hard to see the Spearheads as being anything else but well-suited to meeting a host of needs the U.S. military has when it comes to the Pacific region, both in peacetime and in war. The ships are, on average, relatively young, and have limited crew requirements to begin with, too.

The potential cost savings from putting a significant number of Spearheads on ROS look to be small in the context of the overall U.S. defense budget. As of 2021, the Pentagon pegged the annual operating cost of a single one of these ships at around $20.3 million , which is relatively cheap by naval vessel standards . Beyond that, as already noted, the Navy says it stands to free up less than $20 million in Fiscal Year 2024 by putting five of these ships into a state of reduced readiness.

This all helps explain why the House, in its version of the Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA, wants to compel the Navy to look deeply into the Spearhead class's roles and missions, with a particular eye toward future operations in the Pacific, in addition to preventing the service from placing any more of those ships on ROS. Whether that language makes it into the final reconciled NDAA, and if that bill is then signed into law by President Biden, remains to be seen.

Whatever ultimately happens on the legislative front could have significant ramifications for the future of the Navy's Spearhead class ships.

Contact the author: [email protected]

US Navy acquires a catamaran with fully automated processes

WASHINGTON – The US Navy has begun the process of putting into operation the landing catamaran USNS Apalachicola, already 13 ships of the Spearhead type, learned BulgarianMilitary.com, citing Naval News. The “baptism” ceremony of this ship is to take place in November 2021, and by the summer of 2022 – the final commissioning of the US Navy.

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The USNS Apalachicola will be the first Spearhead catamaran to maximize the automation of all processes.

A frequent “guest” of Ukrainian ports is the landing catamaran USNS Yuma, this ship is the eighth Spearhead representative. The manufacturer of this type of ship is the company Austal USA, on the berths of which the construction of another such landing catamaran is being prepared. It is planned that the US Navy will have a total of 15 ships such as Spearhead.

Spearhead-type landing catamarans have a displacement of 1,515 tons, can take on board cargo up to 600 tons, or from 104 to 312 soldiers, depending on the duration of deployment.

Range – up to 1200 at full load and speed up to 35 knots. Crew – up to 45 people.

US missile ship to spy on Russia and China

At the end of October this year, the US Air Force signed a $ 340 million contract with the defense company Raytheon Intelligence & Space for Mobile Sensors, as we reported on November 13.

The Pentagon wants to monitor the launches of space and combat missiles of its probable opponents – China, Russia, and North Korea – around the clock and all 365 days a year.

Under this program, Raytheon Intelligence & Space until 2031 will provide technical support and improvement of the Cobra King radar system installed on the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen [T-AGM-25] and designed to track ballistic and space missile launches, writes the portal Defense Brief.

In other words, the purpose of this contract – the Pentagon wants to monitor “24 hours a day, 7 days a week – 365 days a year” missile launches of its potential adversaries, such as China, Russia, or North Korea.

Formally, the USNS ship Howard O. Lorenzen belongs to the US Navy, but the Cobra King system on this ship is “attributed” to the US Air Force.

The Cobra King system was launched in 2014 and is part of the Pentagon’s space and ballistic missile tracking system. In addition to the “sea” Cobra King, this system also includes ground radar stations Cobra Ball, Cobra Shoe, and Cobra Dane.

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Us navy christens first medical mission transport catamaran.

The US Navy christened its Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport USNS Cody (EPF 14) in a ceremony on Saturday, February 25, in Mobile, Alabama.

While Cody is the 14th ship in its class to be built by Austal, it is also the first Flight II unit, featuring enhanced medical mission capabilities. With an embarked medical unit, the Flight II EPF will have two operating rooms, the ability to support approximately 41 medical patients, and 147 embarked forces.

The enhancements will include a combined forward resuscitative care capability with a limited intensive care unit and medical ward. Flight II EPFs will be able to stabilize postsurgical cases for evacuation without the requirement to first route them through a higher facility.

Other improvements will include habitability modifications, improved small boat handling, as well as the capability to operate the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

Matt Hall, Mayor of Cody, Wyo., delivered the ceremonial principal address. Additional speakers include Vice Adm. Francis Morley, principal military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, Surgeon General of the Navy; Rear Adm. Michael Wettlaufer, commander, Military Sealift Command; Rusty Murdaugh, president, Austal USA; and Stan Kordana, vice president of Surface Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems.

In a time-honored Navy tradition, Averil Spencer, the ship’s sponsor, christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Spencer is the daughter of the Richard V. Spencer, 76th Secretary of the Navy.

“This ship is the first to honor the city of Cody, Wyoming, a city that proudly embodies America’s independence and fighting spirit,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. “The future USNS Cody will also be the first Flight II configuration in its class, bringing enhanced medical capabilities in addition to its high-speed sealift mobility and agility. I look forward to the depth that this expeditionary fast transport will add to our fleet.”

The future USNS Cody will join the fleet as one of nearly 100 US Navy ships operating globally each day ensuring freedom of the seas, protecting international law, and strengthening relationships with Allies and partners.

EPFs, formerly designated as Joint High Speed Vessels, are all-aluminum catamarans that provide high-speed, shallow-draft transportation capability to support the intra-theater maneuver of personnel, supplies, and equipment for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army. EPFs enable the rapid projection, agile maneuver, and sustainment of forces in response to a wide range of military and civilian contingencies such as Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO), Humanitarian Assistance, and Disaster Relief (HADR).

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HSV-2 Swift – The Navy’s Proof Of Concept Catamaran

Catamarans have long held a beloved place in Naval tradition. Capable of staying mostly above the water, a catarmaran reduces friction with the water by allowing the water to pass beneath it in channels. When the Navy first came up with the idea of engineering a hybrid naval catamaran, the HSV-2 Swift, they envisioned a military ship able to work on anti-mine operations. Furthermore, the HSV-2 Swift would serve as a useful testing platform for naval technology . In 2008, Australian ship builder Incat produced the first and only modern naval hybrid catamaran. The United States Navy employed the craft for ten years before selling it to the United Arab Emirates for dredging operations.

The acronym “HSV” stands for “High Speed Vessel”. Because a hybrid catamaran would stay above the water, its aluminum hull and light weight made it an ideal platform for helicopters and unmanned aerial and naval vehicles. When it first launched from Norfolk, Virginia in October of 2003, the Navy envisioned a class of warship able to quickly manuever to the front lines and disable mines or launch a wave of UAVs and helicopters into action.

The first of this class of vessel, the HSV-1 Joint Venture, saw action in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The HSV-1 Joint Venture acted as a forward staging platform for U.S. Special Forces and Navy SEALS in the acquisition of Umm Qasr, Iraq, a key shipping port that needed to be taken intact.

As for the HSV-2 Swift, it managed to break records for the fastest transit from the Northern Great Barrier Reef to Booby Island. The Swift averaged 39 knots across the area. It also served as a recovery ship for aircraft. Furthermore, the Swift worked to great effect in disaster relief from the 2005 tsunami in Northern Sumatra.

Despite a decent record of service, this particular style of hybrid catamaran was sold off by the U.S. Navy in favor of a new Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport. The Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport was a heavier catamaran craft capable of launching more airborne and sea vehicles. The USNS Spearhead (T-EPF-1) launched in 2011 just in time for the HSV-2 Swift to be decommissioned and sold off to the United Arab Emirates in 2013.

The HSV-2 Swift was never meant as a combat ship. Its armament was purely defensive with only four emplacements for manned .50 caliber machine guns. Of a crew of 35, the majority of the focus of the ship’s activities was centered on logistics and recovery of downed aircraft at sea. It could hold up to 107 people with additional berthing available for another 35, making it an ideal place for a temporary command and control center.

Combat Damage off Yemen:

After being acquired by the United Arab Emirates in 2013, ostensibly for non-militarized dredging operations, it was invariably struck by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Undoubtedly, it was acting as a forward naval operating base for Saudi-backed forces in the area and was thus designated a target. On October 1, 2016, multiple news sources reported that the HSV-2 Swift, while under lease to the United Arab Emirates, was struck by a missile. It was located off-shore from the port city of Mokha, Yemen.

The ship sustained heavy damage, including the loss of crew. The type of missile fired is still unknown. According to news sources from the area, the HSV-2 Swift was towed back to friendly waters to be refitted and repaired.

Powerplant:

Caterpillar 3618 marine diesel engines powered the HSV-2 Swift. Each Caterpillar 3618 engine produces up to 9,655 hp (7198.77 kw).

See HSV-2 Swift Specifications

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S-144 Sea Fighter

267' High Speed Military Catamaran

The Sea Fighter, also known as the "X-Craft" was built for the US Navy in 2005. This aluminum catamaran is the fastest vessel in the Navy fleet other than a few much smaller patrol boats. The Sea Fighter can reach speeds of up to 55 knots, nearly 70 mph. Because of the catamaran design the vessel is capable of entering waters as shallow as 11 feet deep.

The vessel contains a flight deck, which has room for two helicopters, while the stern contains a wide ramp to launch and retrieve small boats. Carried in the vessels mission bay are two "mission modules" 20-foot-long containers to carry equipment for different jobs.

The Water-jet propulsion coupled to engines that can change from gas to diesel allows for exceptional maneuverability. The vessel is also equipped with a T-shaped hydrofoil on the underside of the ship for a smooth ride allowing the vessel to cruise at 40 knots in 7-foot waves.

The Sea Fighter will carry a crew of 26 people - 16 sailors and 10 Coast Guardsmen. The Navy officially took possession of the X-Craft on April 30th 2005.

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• Length: 267'
• Client: Titan Corporation
• Main Engines: 2 x LM 2500 Gas Turbines @ 34,000 HP each;   2 x 16-595 MT40 @ 5,500 HP 
• Speed: 55 Knots
• Fuel Capacity: 156,000 Gallons
• Built For: US Navy
• Delivery: 2005
• Auxiliary Engines: 4 @ 410 KW each
• Beam (Excluding Fenders): 78'
• Beam (Hull) : 20'
• Water Capacity: 5,000 Gallons

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“Cruising, life on board, is a succession of moments spent in the company of the people we love.  We have imagined what these moments might be, in function with various scenarios:  cruising with family, with friends, chartering....  But also, how to evolve with the presence of the crew, as might be required by such a yacht.”  VPLP Design & Marc Van Peteghem – Naval Architect

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• Sails area upwind 335 m² / 3 609 sq.ft
• Square top mainsail (optional.) 205 m² / 2 206 sq.ft
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Thailand's flourishing cannabis culture to end as government seeks ban

Thodsapol Hongtong is enjoying a smoke with his friends at the "Green Party", a venue where recreational cannabis enthusiasts meet in the Thai capital Bangkok to chat and have a good time. But it's a pastime that may be coming to an end.

San Diego Navy sailor accused of espionage faces new charges

Jinchao wei is accused of providing detailed information on the weapon systems and aircraft abroad the essex and other amphibious assault navy ships, by jeanette quezada • published march 14, 2024 • updated on march 14, 2024 at 7:53 pm.

A San Diego Navy sailor accused of sharing photos, videos and more than 50 manuals of U.S. military intel with a Chinese intelligence official is facing new charges.

Jinchao Wei appeared before a judge Thursday for an arraignment on a superseding indictment. Wei pleaded not guilty to three new charges that were added to his case.

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The 22-year-old is accused of providing detailed information on the weapon systems and aircraft abroad the Essex and other amphibious assault Navy ships.

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Prosecutors said Wei, who was born in China, was approached by a Chinese intelligence officer in February 2022 while he was applying to become a naturalized U.S. citizen and that Wei admitted to the officer that he knew the arrangement could affect his application.

Even then, at the Chinese officer’s request, Wei provided photographs and videos of Navy ships, including the USS Essex, which can carry an array of helicopters, according to the initial indictment.

The initial indictment also alleged Wei included as many as 50 manuals containing technical and mechanical data about Navy ships and details about the number and training of Marines during an upcoming exercise.

The Justice Department charged Wei under a rarely used Espionage Act law. He also faces additional charges for exporting defense articles without a license and one charge for naturalization fraud.

According to the superseding indictment, Wei lied to the U.S. government during his naturalization process.

Gary Barthel is a retired lieutenant colonel and military law expert. NBC 7 asked him about this case and the espionage charges.

“Any time that a U.S. attorney’s office wants to add an additional charge or charges in a specific case, they have to get a superseding indictment to do that and so I anticipate that they will be additional charges filed in this case.” Lt. Barthel said. “It does expose all of the sailors on this ship to a threat, but it also exposes other U.S. Navy ships as well to the same sorts of threats. This information in the hands of the Chinese, can be devastating to the U.S. National Security."

Wei is one of two California-based sailors accused of accepting bribes in exchange for sending military information to China. The other was based out of Naval Base Ventura County and was arrested around the same time.

Wei is due in court again on Monday for his status hearing.

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Navy demoted Ronny Jackson after probe into White House behavior

Trump’s former physician and gop ally is now a retired captain, not an admiral.

Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician turned GOP congressman, regularly touts his military bona fides.

“As a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with nearly three decades of military service I understand the commitment and sacrifices made by servicemen and servicewomen to serve our country,” the two-term representative from Texas says on his congressional website in a message posted to a page listing his work on veterans issues.

But Jackson is no longer a retired admiral. The Navy demoted him in July 2022 following a damaging Pentagon inspector general’s report that substantiated allegations about his inappropriate behavior as a White House physician, a previously unreported decision confirmed by a current defense official and a former U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive personnel move.

Jackson is now a retired Navy captain, those people said — a demotion that carries a significant financial burden in addition to the social stigma of stripped rank in military circles.

Despite the demotion, Jackson has continued to refer to himself as a retired rear admiral, including in statements released since the Navy reclassified him as a retired captain. Former president Donald Trump and other Republicans have also continued to publicly describe Jackson using his former rank; it’s unclear if they were aware of his demotion.

Jackson’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the Navy’s 2022 personnel action and his demotion. The former White House physician has become a prominent voice in the 2024 campaign, repeatedly affirming Trump’s fitness to serve while castigating President Biden’s.

After publication of this story, the Navy provided Jackson’s service record, which shows the rank of captain retroactively applied to the date of his retirement in December 2019.

For an officer who served 24 years like Jackson, there is a more than $15,000 difference in annual pension payouts between a retired one-star admiral, the rank that Jackson held when he retired from the Navy in December 2019, and a retired captain, according to an estimate by Katherine L. Kuzminski, a military policy expert at Center for a New American Security. That payout gap is likely to widen over time as the military periodically increases its pay rates for each position.

Kuzminski also said that it was inappropriate for Jackson to describe himself as a retired rear admiral. “While it is possible that others will mistakenly refer to him as ‘Admiral’ in perpetuity, he himself should not make that mistake,” she said.

A Navy official confirmed that the service took unspecified action against Jackson in the wake of the 2021 inspector general’s report , which found that Jackson berated subordinates in the White House medical unit, “made sexual and denigrating statements” about a female subordinate, consumed alcohol inappropriately with subordinates, and consumed the sleep drug Ambien while on duty as the president’s physician. At the time of the report, Jackson was classified by the Navy as a rear admiral (lower half), a one-star admiral that is distinct from the two-star rear admiral position.

“The substantiated allegations in the DoDIG [Department of Defense inspector general] investigation of Rear Adm. (lower half) Ronny Jackson are not in keeping with the standards the Navy requires of its leaders and, as such, the secretary of the Navy took administrative action in July 2022,” Lt. Cmdr. Joe Keiley, a Navy spokesman, said via email.

Keiley declined to comment on Jackson's current rank and whether he had been demoted. The Pentagon inspector general's report had recommended that the Navy secretary take action against the retired officer, concluding that Jackson did not behave in the “exemplary” manner that is required of Navy officers.

Military guidelines allow a provisional retirement rank if an officer is under investigation for alleged misconduct at the time, as Jackson was during his departure from the Navy. Military officials have the option to downgrade the final rank if adverse findings are made, busting down an officer to the last grade at which they satisfactorily served.

Retired officers can respond to the decision, according to Navy regulations , but it is unclear if Jackson did so or otherwise challenged the Navy secretary’s determination.

In his July 2022 memoir, “Holding the Line,” Jackson dismisses the inspector general’s report as politically motivated.

“If I had retired and not gotten into politics, this investigation would have never gone anywhere,” Jackson wrote. “This was happening because I am a perceived threat to the Biden administration and because a few political appointees in the Department of Defense want to make a name for themselves.”

In the memoir, Jackson did not address the prospect of being demoted by the Navy.

The Pentagon oversees the White House medical team, which is staffed by career military medical personnel and has become the focus of several investigations in the wake of Jackson’s tenure. The Defense Department in January released a second inspector general report into the White House medical team’s operations that does not name Jackson but faults aspects of how the unit was run while he served in the White House, such as the unit’s lax controls for powerful drugs such as Ambien and the stimulant Provigil.

Jackson, who first arrived at the White House in 2006, served as the medical unit’s director between 2010 and 2014 and as personal physician to Presidents Barack Obama and Trump between 2013 and 2018.

Former colleagues, political officials and Jackson himself have all described his strategy of providing complimentary round-the-clock care to numerous White House officials and even their friends and family members. The Pentagon’s most recent investigation found that many of the patients who received complimentary care from the White House medical team were not eligible for it.

But in the White House, Jackson’s approach won him favor within two presidential administrations. Obama, who personally chose Jackson as his physician in 2013, considered him a friend and promoted him to one-star admiral in October 2016.

Jackson also endeared himself to Trump, particularly after a January 2018 news conference in which the White House physician extolled Trump’s health — joking to reporters that the then-71-year-old president could “live to be 200 years old” if he only ate healthier. Jackson added that Trump performed exceedingly well during a cognitive exam , a test that Jackson scheduled to rebut growing questions about the president’s fitness for office.

Trump soon attempted to put Jackson in his Cabinet as secretary of veterans affairs, a failed nomination that prompted a whistleblower complaint to Congress and, later, the Pentagon’s inspector general’s investigations. Trump also twice nominated Jackson to become a two-star admiral, although the nominations stalled and he was not promoted.

Jackson retired from the military and left the White House in 2019 to run for Congress, a long-shot campaign that succeeded with the backing of Trump.

Jackson won reelection in 2022 and has emerged as a leading critic of President Biden’s fitness for office, injecting himself into this year’s presidential campaign with frequent TV appearances, news conferences and public statements assessing the 81-year-old Biden’s mental and physical health. Jackson also has publicly called for Biden to undergo a cognitive exam comparable to the one he administered to Trump in January 2018, invoking concerns that are shared by many independent voters and some Democrats. A Monmouth University poll conducted last month found that 32 percent of registered voters were confident in Biden’s physical and mental stamina, compared with 51 percent of voters who were confident in the 77-year-old Trump’s fitness.

Around Capitol Hill and in political circles, Jackson is frequently referred to by his onetime military rank.

“Where’s the admiral, Ronny Jackson? Come on up here,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a retired Pennsylvania Army National Guard brigadier general, urged at a House Republican news conference in July 2023 as lawmakers discussed a defense spending bill.

Speaking at the August 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference — days after the Navy privately demoted Jackson — Trump also extolled his former physician.

“He was an admiral, a doctor and now he’s a congressman, and I said, which is the best if you had your choice? And he sort of indicated doctor because he loved looking at my body, it was so strong,” Trump joked before pivoting to the reason for his affection for Jackson. “He said I’m the healthiest president that’s ever lived. … I said, I like this guy.”

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Iran, Russia and China show off their ships in a joint naval drill in the Gulf of Oman

In this photo provided Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by the Iranian Army, an Iranian military boat patrols as a warship enters the Iranian waters prior to start of a joint naval drill of Iran, Russia and China in the Indian Ocean. Iran has stepped up its military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow in response to regional tensions with the United States, including by supplying military drones to Russia before the European nation invaded Ukraine in 2022. (Iranian Army via AP)

In this photo provided Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by the Iranian Army, warships enter the Iranian waters prior to the start of a joint naval drill of Iran, Russia and China in the Indian Ocean. Iran has stepped up its military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow in response to regional tensions with the United States, including by supplying military drones to Russia before the European nation invaded Ukraine in 2022. (Iranian Army via AP)

In this photo provided Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by the Iranian Army, a catamaran moves in the Iranian waters prior to the start of a joint naval drill of Iran, Russia and China in the Indian Ocean. Iran has stepped up its military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow in response to regional tensions with the United States, including by supplying military drones to Russia before the European nation invaded Ukraine in 2022. (Iranian Army via AP)

In this photo provided Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by the Iranian Army, a military ship moves in the Iranian waters prior to the start of a joint naval drill of Iran, Russia and China in the Indian Ocean. Iran has stepped up its military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow in response to regional tensions with the United States, including by supplying military drones to Russia before the European nation invaded Ukraine in 2022. (Iranian Army via AP)

FILE - In this image made from video provide by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on March 18, 2023, warships are seen during Russia, China and Iran joint naval exercise in the Arabian Sea. Iran will begin a joint naval drill with Russia and China in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, state media reported Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — China, Iran and Russia have begun a joint naval drill in the Gulf of Oman, a crucial waterway near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, officials said Tuesday.

Footage aired by Chinese state television and a video released by the Russian navy showed the ongoing drill, known as “Marine Security Belt 2024.”

China sent the guided-missile destroyer Urumqi and the guided-missile frigate Linyi to the exercise. Russia’s forces are being led by the Varyag, a Slava-class cruiser.

More than 20 ships, support vessels and combat boats from the three countries, as well as naval helicopters, are involved in the exercise.

A report by Iranian state television quoted the drill’s spokesperson, Adm. Mostafa Tajaddini, as saying the drill will take place in 17,000 square kilometers (6,600 square miles) of water.

Tajaddini added that the three nations’ drill — their fourth since 2019 — was also meant to improve trade, confront “piracy and terrorism, support to humanitarian activities and the exchange of information in the field of rescue,” among other goals.

Iran has stepped up its military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow in response to regional tensions with the United States , including due to supplying military drones to Russia now being used in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan and South Africa are observers of the drill.

The Gulf of Oman has seen a series of attacks since 2019 that the U.S. has blamed on Iran, as well as ship seizures by Tehran, since the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. A fifth of all oil traded passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf’s narrow mouth.

The Liberty Champion

The official student newspaper of Liberty University

The United States Navy’s official chorus will come to campus March 7

The Navy Sea Chanters are set to deliver a free musical performance Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Concert Hall in the Center for Music and the Worship Arts, offering attendees an opportunity to embrace patriotism and enjoy a performance rooted in maritime history.

Attendees can expect a wide variety of vocal musical genres from the Sea Chanters. Marking their second performance on campus, the musicians’ program will include a surprise array of solos, quartets and instrumental pieces.

According to Daryl Duff, associate professor of commercial vocal studies, the Navy Sea Chanters are professional vocal musicians who are members of the United States Navy.

The Sea Chanters take their professional musicianship to sing and perform in service to their nation. They are a presidential support unit attached to the White House as well as the United States Navy’s official chorus.

Photo provided

“If we were a monarchy, then the Sea Chanters would be the king’s musicians,” Duff said.

Duff has 23 years of experience as a Sea Chanter from 1990 to 2013.

“When the performers meet audience members after the show, people are just so happy. They’re so surprised and fulfilled. They’ll say, ‘I didn’t expect this. This was fantastic…’ We truly do have music for everybody, from two to 92,” Duff said.

According to Duff, the Sea Chanters will honor military service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard in a special recognition during their performance.

“It brings a tear to my eyes to think that every time we ask (active duty, retired or veteran military service members) to stand for their service, we get people in wheelchairs and walkers, and I see 70- 80-year-old or 90-year-old veterans (who) sit and enjoy the performance, but the moment we play their service song, there is a sense of pride and honor,” Duff said. “They have to stand up and there are times when there’s not a dry eye in the building because the music has touched them so much.”

Duff began his experience with the Navy Sea Chanters after graduating from Central Missouri State University, now known as the University of Central Missouri.

After responding to a flyer seeking African American bass singers with operatic training, Duff auditioned successfully, attended boot camp and joined the Chanters at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., in April 1990. Embarking on a 23-year career, Duff performed for numerous prestigious individuals, including multiple presidents, vice presidents, the chief of naval operations and the joint chiefs of staff.

With a strong desire for the ministry throughout his time in the Navy, Duff directed choirs, taught Sunday school and participated in various missions trips. His journey eventually brought him to the Liberty University Distance Learning Program in 2003. Following God’s guidance, Duff transitioned from pursuing a master’s degree in divinity to a master’s degree in music, opening a new chapter in his career as a music educator.

Duff encourages attendance at the upcoming performance on Liberty’s campus.

“Everybody usually smiles when they leave a Sea Chanters performance,” Duff said. “Because of the program, everyone feels a sense of pride in America.”

To learn more about the upcoming Navy Sea Chanters performance and future musical performances on campus, visit this website .

Solem is the asst. feature editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X

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