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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

MV Westpac Express (HSV-4676)

HSV-1 Class High-speed Catamaran:

Built in 2001 by Austal Ltd, Henderson, Australia

Launched, date unknown

Chartered for Marine Corps Logistics Prepositioning Ship Program by MSC

Contract Information

Austal Hull 130 Chartering, LLC, Mobile, Ala., will be awarded a $13,395,944 firm-fixed-priced contract commencing

in February 2007 with four one year additional options to September 2011

Specifications:
Displacement 2,111 t.(lt)
Length 331' 4"
Beam 87' 5"
Draft 14' 1" (fully loaded)

Speed

Economical Speed: 20 Kts

Warranted Speed: 33 Kts

Range 1100nm / 33 kts.

Complement Military 11, Civilian 13

Troop Capacity 970

Cargo Capacity

20,698 square feet - RORO designed for roll on/roll off service (Typical loads - 153 HUMMWV's or 12 AAVP's and 20 LAV's)

Range

1,240 NM@ 33Kts (laden)

2,182 NM@ 20Kts (laden)

2,927 NM@ 20Kts (ballast)

Propulsion diesel-powered, water jet catamaran 4x Caterpiller 3618 diesel engines each producing 7,200 KW @ 1050 rpm

Size	Image Description	Source
60k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) moored pierside at Henderson, Rockingham, Western Australia, date unknown.	MSC web site
59k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) departing "Kin Red", Red Beach on the east coast of Okinawa. Kin Red is the principal HSV loading pier for Marine troops and vehicles. This photo shows the concrete pier with the pilings leading out from it. The HSV backs into the pier and ties up to the pilings, lowers its stern ramp and conducts its load/discharge. Note: also that *WestPac Express* is the only HSV with an axial stern ramp, the others have quarter ramps with less capacity and cannot load as much ro/ro cargo.	Lee Wahler
68k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) embarking Marines, date and place unknown.	Austal web site
49k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) loading/unloading Marine LAVs, date and place unknown.	Lee Wahler
86k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) loading Marine LAVs and trucks, date and place unknown.	Tommy Trampp
89k	Chief Warrant Officer 5, Gene Rose, USMC, the Westpac Express (HSV-4676) Operations Officer, stands in front of *Westpac Express* as he explains the function of the ship. The MSC chartered high speed vessel arrived at Chuk Sarnet, Thailand, 23 April 2002, carrying 215 Marines and their equipment taking part in Cobra Gold 02. US Navy photo by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith	Tommy Trampp
231k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) being off loaded at Chuk Samet, Sattahip, Thailand, 8 May 2002. An AH-1W Cobra Attack Helicopter from Marine Helicopter Attack/Light Squadron Three Six Nine (HMA/L 369) is off-loaded from *Westpac Express. Westpac Express, a chartered Military Sealift Command ship that provided extensive logistics support to Exercise Cobra Gold 2002. Cobra Gold 2002 is the 21st U.S. Pacific Command exercise conducted in Thailand demonstrating the ability of U.S. forces to deploy rapidly and conduct joint-combined operations with the Thai and Singapore Armed Forces. US Navy photo # 020508-N-9818S-005* by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith.	Photo - Robert Hurst Caption - Lee Wahler
77k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
70k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
60k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
74k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) arriving in port, date and location unknown.	Lee Wahler
42k	Westpac Express (HSV-4676) underway, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy HMS Global Marine.	Lee Wahler