A Rest For Joint Venture

Subsequent to various tests by the U.S. military, the 315-ft. (96-m) experimental vessel HSV-X1 Joint Venture that had been delivered by the U.S. Army to Bollinger Morgan City, was successfully drydocked at the yard on October 31, 2002 for routine maintenance and periodic regulatory inspection. Upon completion of sea trials on November 14, the vessel was then delivered to the U.S. Navy for additional operational testing of its military capabilities.

The project, which was managed by Bollinger Morgan City, also encompassed the coordination of a variety of subcontractors including Incat Tasmania, Caterpillar and Maritime Dynamics - interfaced with SupShips New Orleans - the government's project manager. SupShips also coordinated the efforts of the ship's crew as they performed crew-responsible maintenance activities. According to Chris Bollinger, president of Bollinger/Incat USA, "An extensive scope of work was accomplished in a limited amount of time through effective scheduling and complete cooperation by all involved. Each group had a clear understanding of the objective and the importance of getting the vessel and crew back on time with all work accomplished."

The Joint Venture, a product of Bollinger/Incat USA, recently underwent extensive field testing by the U.S. Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Special Forces Command in the world wide military exercise Millennium Challenge 2002. The shallow draft catamaran is a high-speed, high-capacity vehicle and passenger ferry converted to a multi-mission military configuration. In its role as a troop and equipment transport, the vessel can reach speeds up to 40 knots while carrying a full complement of armored vehicles, trucks, artillery, helicopters and troops. Since its holds such a shallow draft, the vessel can maneuver into ports that larger, slower transports cannot negotiate. With four Caterpillar engines driving its waterjet propulsion system, the vessel has a cargo capacity of 815 short tons, and features RoRo deployment from its two-part hydraulically operated vehicle ramp.