Editing HSV-2 Swift (section)

==US flagged service ==
The first ship of this class to be used by the Navy, [[HSC Manannan|''Joint Venture'' (HSV-X1)]], proved her military mettle during the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] as a forward staging platform for [[Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team|Marine Fleet Anti-Terrorism]] and [[United States Navy SEAL]] teams in the shallow waters of [[Umm Qasr]], Iraq. The Navy hoped to build upon lessons learned from ''Swift'' and her predecessor, and eventually use the information to create a new class of [[littoral combat ship]]s.<ref>{{cite news |first=C. Grant |last=Johnson |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=11055 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012081058/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=11055 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |title= Hampton Roads Welcomes HSV 2 Swift |publisher= US Navy News |date= 20 December 2002 }}</ref>

In the autumn of 2003, while operating with the [[United States Fifth Fleet|Fifth Fleet]], ''Swift'' completed the fastest-ever transit of the northern [[Great Barrier Reef]] from [[Cairns, Queensland|Cairns]] to [[Booby Island (Queensland)|Booby Island]], Australia, averaging slightly over {{convert|39|kn|km/h|lk=in}}.<ref name="McKain, 2003">{{cite news |first=Shawnee |last=McKain |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=9671 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012080306/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=9671 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |title= HSV 2 Swift Lives up to Its Name |publisher= US Navy News |date=25 September 2003 }}</ref> During flight deck certifications, ''Swift''{{'}}s crew conducted aircraft recovery while making {{convert|43|kn|km/h}} during one recovery and had {{convert|66|kn|km/h|adj=on}} apparent winds during another recovery.<ref name="McKain, 2003" />

In November 2003 she began [[West Africa]]n Training Cruise-04. She first visited the [[South African Navy]] (SAN) base at [[Durban]] on 3 November 2003. She then exercised with the SAN and the [[South African Air Force]] off [[Simon's Town]] in the [[Western Cape]]. As of early November 2003, as reported by [[Jane's Defence Weekly]] on 19 November 2003, exercises were also planned with Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. ''Swift'' had embarked a small [[United States Marine Corps]] (USMC) detachment for the cruise, 'which will draw on Norway Air-Landed Marine Expeditionary Brigade equipment for the exercises.'<ref>{{citation |author=Helmoed-Romer Heitman |title=US Navy catamaran on training cruise off West Africa |work=Jane's Defence Weekly |date=19 November 2003 |pages=19 }}</ref> The Jane's Defence Weekly story said that Marine reservists will practice with the NALMEB (Norway Air-Landed Marine Expeditionary Brigade) equipment, and the cruise would also be used to evaluate an experimental lightweight [[ROWPU]] that was at that time being tested by the USMC warfighting laboratory. The vessel returned in early 2004. In 2004, the United States Navy tested the Australian built ''Swift'' in the multinational exercise [[RIMPAC]].{{citation needed|date=October 2016|reason=Whole paragraph uncited since IP anon added June 19, 2005}}

[[File:US Navy 050130-N-8629M-123 A forklift offload supplies from the High Speed Vessel Two (HSV 2) Swift in Singapore.jpg|thumb|left|A forklift offloads supplies from ''Swift'' in Singapore, 30 January 2005]]
In January 2005, ''Swift'' was tapped to provide logistical assistance during the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|tsunami relief effort]] in North [[Sumatra]]. ''Swift'' departed [[Naval Station Ingleside]], Texas, on 3 January 2005.<ref>{{cite news |first= Fifi |last= Kieschnick |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=16511 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130121115335/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=16511 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 21 January 2013 |title= Ingleside Ship Deploys to Support Disaster Relief Efforts |publisher= US Navy News |date= 5 January 2005 }}</ref> ''Swift'' was in Pearl Harbor 15 January 2005, on the way to provide assistance following the tsunami.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=20683 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114128/http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=20683 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 4 March 2016 |title= Image 050115-N-9662L-003 Caption |publisher=US Navy |date= 15 January 2005}}</ref> The ship arrived in Singapore on 30 January 2005,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=21360 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012083455/http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=21360 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |title= Image 050130-N-8629M-069 Caption |publisher=US Navy |date= 30 January 2005}}</ref> Belawan, Indonesia 3 February 2005<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=21644 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160306083238/http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=21644 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 6 March 2016 |title= Image 050203-N-3642E-008 Caption |publisher=US Navy |date= 3 February 2005}}</ref> and Sattahip, Thailand, on 7 February 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=21617 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012083721/http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=21617 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |title= Image 050207-N-3642E-001 Caption |publisher=US Navy |date= 7 February 2005}}</ref>

Prior to arriving in the tsunami affected region, crews were swapped in [[Pearl Harbor]], with Gold crew relieving Blue crew in less than eight hours.{{citation needed|date=October 2016|reason=Whole paragraph uncited since IP anon added June 19, 2005}} ''Swift'' embarked a helicopter detachment, and served as a base of operations for two helicopters and their crew for 30 consecutive days at sea. During the operation, ''Swift'' sailed for 30 straight days, supported a helicopter detachment and support crew and conducted two underway replenishments.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.incat.com.au/domino/incat/incatweb.nsf/v-title/HSV%202%20Swift?OpenDocument |title= HSV-2 Swift |publisher= Incat |access-date= 2 October 2016 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160906210600/http://www.incat.com.au/domino/incat/incatweb.nsf/v-title/HSV%202%20Swift?OpenDocument |archive-date= 6 September 2016 }}</ref>

[[File:US Navy 050906-N-6204K-054 U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer Tony Cochran speaks through a megaphone to Sailors aboard the High Speed Vessel (HSV-2) Swift as it prepares for a vertical replenishment of supplies aboard the amphibi.jpg|thumb|''Swift'' in New Orleans following Katrina, 6 September 2005]]
In 2005, ''Swift'' played a major role in [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief efforts. With most roads inaccessible along the [[Gulf Coast]], ''Swift'' and her crew delivered the necessary supplies by water, traversing the [[Mississippi River]] multiple times hauling humanitarian aid between [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]], [[Florida]], and [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Marissa |last=Kaylor |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=20445 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012080938/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=20445 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |title= Swift's Back and Forth Efforts Pay Off - NNS051007-07 |publisher= US Navy News |date= 7 October 2005 }}</ref>

During the [[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict]], ''Swift'' was used to transport humanitarian assistance materials from [[Cyprus]] to [[Beirut]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael B. W. |last= Watkins |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=25067 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012080658/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=25067 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |title= Humanitarian Aid Reaches Lebanon |publisher= US Navy News |date= 9 August 2006 }}</ref>

[[File:US Navy 070930-N-5677B-003 High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift arrives at Naval Station Mayport marking the end of its deployment.jpg|thumb|left|''Swift'' showing ramp detail, returning to Mayport after GFS deployment, 30 September 2007.]]
''Swift'' departed [[Naval Station Mayport]], Florida, on 25 April 2007, to serve as a Global Fleet Station (GFS). The ship hosted more than 1,000 host nation military and civilian personnel during twelve visits to seven countries such as Belize, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Panama. In these countries, personnel on board ''Swift'' conducted 39,890 hours of subject matter expert exchanges in such areas as leadership, small boat operations, port security and small unit tactics.<ref name=GFS >{{cite news |first=Cynthia |last=Clark |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=32219 |title= Pilot Global Fleet Station Completes Mission |publisher= US Navy News |date= 2 October 2007 |access-date= 2 October 2016 |archive-date= 12 October 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161012081111/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=32219 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

The six-month U.S. Navy sponsored GFS deployment tested the Navy's GFS concept, a maritime security cooperation initiative aimed at strengthening global partnerships through training and cooperation activities. ''Swift'' transported U.S. military training teams to conduct maritime training with regional civil and maritime services.<ref name=GFS />

During the last half of the deployment, more than {{convert|20000|lb|abbr=on}} of medical and food supplies were donated through Project Handclasp. ''Swift'' hosted numerous dignitaries, including the [[Prime Minister of Jamaica]] and U.S. Ambassadors to Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Jamaica.<ref name=GFS />

The GFS pilot mission was completed on 30 September 2007, when ''Swift'' returned to Naval Station Mayport, Florida.<ref name=GFS />

[[File:The High-Speed Vessel Swift (HSV-2) gets underway with a tethered TIF-25K Aerostat balloon in Key West, Fla., on April 24, 2013 130424-N-IC228-112.jpg|thumbnail|right|''Swift'' with Tethered Aerostat]]

On 5 May 2010, ''Swift'', along with various embarked Navy and Marine Corps units, departed Naval Station Mayport for a five-month deployment for Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2010.<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert A. |last= Wood Sr. |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=53131 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120926104144/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=53131 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 26 September 2012 |title= HSV 2 Swift Departs for Southern Partnership Station 2010 |publisher= US Navy News |date= 6 May 2010 }}</ref>

While in port, ''Swift'' received 140 Project Handclasp pallets and two fire engines. The [[Wisconsin]] [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]] State Partnership Program donated the fire engines to Project Handclasp for transportation to Nicaragua, their partner nation.

Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program that accepts and transports educational, humanitarian and goodwill material on a space-available basis aboard U.S. Navy ships for distribution to foreign nation recipients.

SPS is an annual deployment of various specialty platforms to the U.S. [[United States Southern Command|Southern Command]] (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) in the Caribbean and [[Latin America]]. The mission's primary goal is information sharing with navies, coast guards, and civilian services throughout the region.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=53131|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509065032/http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=53131|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 May 2010|title=HSV 2 Swift Departs for Southern Partnership Station 2010|last=Wood|first=Robert|newspaper=[[navy.mil]]|date=2010-05-06|access-date=2010-11-26}}</ref>

In April 2013, a TIF-25K Tethered [[Aerostat]] (unmanned [[blimp]]) was tested from the stern of ''Swift''. The aerostat could be positioned {{convert|3,000|ft|m}} above the vessel for surveillance.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=73794|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121045310/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=73794|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 January 2014|title=USNS Swift Completes Aerostat and UAV Testing, Departs Key West for Operation Martillio |last=Allen|first=Sean|newspaper=[[navy.mil]]|date= 2013-01-05|access-date=2013-08-01}}</ref>

''Swift'' was to be replaced with {{Ship|USNS|Spearhead|JHSV-1|6}} when that vessel came into service.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cavas |first=Christopher P. |url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121015/DEFREG02/310150006/Interview-U-S-Navy-Rear-Adm-Mark-Buzby |title=Interview: U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark Buzby |website=Defense News |date=15 October 2012}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Originally chartered in July 2003 as an interim mine warfare command and support ship for "transformational" mine warfare modular mission payload initiatives, the ship had been sent to the [[Persian Gulf]], South Africa, the [[North Sea]], and [[Hawaii]] within one year. Other locations included the Gulf of Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, [[Sicily]], Spain, and southern [[California]]. As mine demonstration missions wore down, ''Swift'' was used in partnership missions, performing extended cruises to Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The five-year charter was renewed in 2008, and the ship continued to serve until the introduction of [[Joint High Speed Vessel]]s. ''Swift'' ended her service with Military Sealift Command in 2013.<ref name="Binnie, 2015" />