The Navy’s first Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV-1) for transporting troops and equipment in theater has successfully completed acceptance trials, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) said yesterday.

The vessel, built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., underwent two days of testing in the Gulf of Mexico that evaluated the ship’s major systems and equipment, and a four-hour full power run to demonstrate main propulsion engineering and ship control systems. The trials concluded Aug. 16.

“JHSV 1 performed extremely well during these trials, a testament to the hard work and preparation by the Austal-Navy shipbuilding team,” Capt. Henry Stevens, the JHSV program manager, said. “Spearhead will be a valued asset to our fleet, and these trials highlight the revolutionary capabilities of the ship.”

The Navy has sharply reduced the number of JHSVs to be built from what was originally planned. The fiscal 2013 budget request and five-year procurement plan outlined by the Navy earlier this year more than halved the number of vessels to be built to 10 (Defense Daily, Feb. 14, 2012).

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has said the service elected to slash the program to save money during a time of reduced budgets and didn’t want to divert money from large surface combatants to keep funding the JHSV. The fiscal 2013 budget proposal before Congress seeks $189 million for what would be the final vessel.