The US Navy's Spearhead-class fast transports had cracked hulls, reinforced bows and a reputation for struggling in rough seas, yet the Navy ordered 16 of them. We look at USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) and the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) class: what they do, what they cost, how they are armed and how the Flight II version, USNS Cody, changed the design.
USNS Burlington is operated by the Military Sealift Command with a small civilian crew. The Spearhead class is a 338-foot aluminum catamaran designed to carry 600 short tons of cargo 1,200 nautical miles at an average of 35 knots, with a top speed of about 43 knots. It can carry up to 312 troops and reach shallow ports that larger Navy ships cannot. Each ship cost roughly $180 million to build.
Source: The Navy Channel
