HSC Dublin Swift

Dublin Swift is a high-speed catamaran built in 2001 by Austal as a passenger and vehicle catamaran ferry. After conversion to a Maritime Prepositioning ship the vessel was chartered by the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command until January 2018 as WestPac Express. It was then converted for civilian use as a passenger ferry by Irish Ferries and renamed Dublin Swift.

Dublin Swift in August 2018
History
Cyprus
Name	2001-2018 WestPac Express (HSV-4676) 2018-present Dublin Swift
Owner	2001-2016 Austal 2016-present Irish Continental Group
Operator	2001-2018 United States Navy 2018-present Irish Ferries
Port of registry	Limassol
Route	Dublin-Holyhead
Builder	Austal, Henderson, Western Australia
Yard number	130
Launched	26 March 2001
Completed	2001
Identification	IMO number: 9243227 MMSI number: 369323000 Callsign: WDB5285
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class and type	Roll-on/roll-off catamaran
Tonnage	2,111 tons (light)
Length	100.99 m (331.3 ft)
Beam	26.64 m (87.4 ft)
Draft	4.29 m (14.1 ft) (fully loaded)
Installed power	Four Caterpillar 3618 diesel engines each producing 7,200 kW @ 1,050 rpm
Propulsion	Water-jet propulsion
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) (economical) 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) (warranted)
Range	1,240 nmi @ 33 kn (laden) 2,182 nmi @ 20 kn (laden) 2,927 nmi @ 20 kn (ballast)
Capacity	Irish Ferries capacity: Passengers: 900 Vehicles: 251 cars or 16 articulated lorries with up to 96 cars also carried. Troop capacity: 970 Cargo capacity: 20,698 square feet: Designed for roll on/roll off service (typical loads - 153 HUMMWVs or 12 AAVPs and 20 LAVs)
Crew	11 military 13 civilian

History

After a demonstration in 2001, Austal signed a three-year lease with Military Sealift Command for the WestPac Express.^[1][2][3]

In March 2011, the WestPac Express was deployed as part of the US response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.^[4] In recognition of this service, Admiral Mark Buzby presented the ship’s crew with United States Merchant Marine Outstanding Achievement Medal at a ceremony on board the ship in Yokohama, Japan.^[5] The lease was renewed successively until the end of 2017.^[6][7]

In April 2016 WestPac Express was sold to Irish Continental Group, who continued to lease it to the Military Sealift Command until the end of 2017.^[7][8][9]

With its charter to the US Navy completed, in January 2018 WestPac Express arrived in Belfast for refurbishment at Harland & Wolff to replace the Jonathan Swift on Irish Ferries' Dublin to Holyhead route.^[10][11][12] It entered service in April 2018.^[13][14]

Follow on orders

With a design based on the WestPac Express, Austal USA built 10 Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessels for use by the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Coast Guard with a further two on order.^[15][16]