Press Releases 2007

US Navy Vessel to Visit Jamaica

The HSV-2 Swift, one of the world’s fastest and most advanced U.S. Navy vessels, will arrive in Port Antonio on Sunday, September 16, for two weeks as the final stop of its six-month deployment to the Caribbean and Central America.

High Speed Vessel Swift serves as the pilot platform for the U.S. Navy’s Global Fleet Station (GFS), a maritime security cooperative initiative aimed at strengthening U.S. global partnerships through training and cooperation activities.

At the request of the Government of Jamaica, teams aboard the Swift will be providing training for members of the Jamaica Defense Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force in port security, professional development, operational risk management, medical readiness, outboard motor repair, coxswain duties, and patrol craft operations.

Over the past five months, the vessel has conducted visits to Belize, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama and has completed more than 1200 individual training opportunities with sailors and civilian seamen.

Its crew is comprised of 40 crew members, including a command element and training teams from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps.

HSV-2 Swift is an aluminum-hulled, wave-piercing catamaran capable of reaching speeds exceeding 45 knots. Its speed, mobility, size and flexibility make it an ideal platform for sea-based, multinational security cooperation engagements.