USNS Spearhead returns from maiden deployment

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — A Navy ship that resembles a commercial ferry returned to Virginia on Tuesday following its maiden deployment to Europe and Africa, where military officials tested out some of its other capabilities aside from transporting people and equipment.

The USNS Spearhead is the first joint high-speed vessel to be deployed by the Navy. It is a catamaran designed to quickly transport just about anything that various branches of the military might need, aside from fixed-wing aircraft. Its missions could include evacuating civilians, moving Army soldiers and vehicles from one country to another or delivering humanitarian aid, among other things.