US Navy christens newest Spearhead-class ship
USNS Apalachicola has an off-load ramp that will allow vehicles to drive off the ship quickly. (Photo: USN)
Flexibility of USNS Apalachicola will allow support for a wide range of operations.
The USN on 13 November christened its 13th Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport, the future USNS Apalachicola (T-EPF 13).
EPF ships are designed to transport 600 short tons of military cargo 1,200nmi at an average speed of 35kt. The ship can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities and on/off-loading the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank. It also includes a flight deck for helicopter operations.
The ship will be operated by USN Military Sealift Command and is the second vessel to be named after the city of Apalachicola. The first Apalachicola (YTB 767) was a Natick-class large harbour tug launched in 1963.
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