Bows of Navy's fast transports easily damaged, need reinforcement

摘要

Design changes approved by the U.S. Navy for its new highspeed transports left them vulnerable to wave slam, resulting in bow damage to four ships mat cost more than $2 million to repair. In a report to Congress assessing the performance of the joint high speed vessels (JHSVs), the Pentagon's chief weapons tester said the entire class "requires reinforcing structure" between the hulls. The aluminum catamarans, redesignated last year as expeditionary fast transports (EPFs), are built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.