USNS City of Bismarck (JHSV-9/T-EPF-9), (ex-Sacrifice) is the ninth Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport and operated by the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command.[1] It is the first ship in naval service named after Bismarck, North Dakota’s capital city.[5]

USNS City of Bismarck in Koror City, Palau in 2021
History
United States
NameCity of Bismarck
NamesakeBismarck City
OperatorMilitary Sealift Command
Awarded24 February 2012[1]
BuilderAustal USA[1]
Laid down18 January 2017[1]
Launched7 June 2017[2]
Sponsored byJane Harman
Christened13 May 2017[3]
In service19 December 2017[4]
Renamedfrom Sacrifice
ReclassifiedT-EPF-9, 2015
Identification
Motto
  • Possumus Efficiemus
  • (We Can Accomplish)
StatusActive
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSpearhead class expeditionary fast transport
Length103.0 m (337 ft 11 in)
Beam28.5 m (93 ft 6 in)
Draft3.83 m (12 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
Speed43 knots (80 km/h; 49 mph)
Troops312
CrewCapacity of 41, 22 in normal service
Aviation facilitiesLanding pad for medium helicopter

Construction and career

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The ship's name was announced in 2016 as Bismarck.[5][6] The keel was laid on 18 January 2017,[1][7] by which point the ship's name had been changed to City of Bismarck.[8] The state of North Dakota was represented at the ceremony by Robert O. Wefald, a retired Navy officer, former state Attorney General, and longtime resident of Bismarck. Wefald welded his initials into a steel plate that would be incorporated into the ship.[9]

On 7 June 2017, USNS City of Bismarck was launched at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.[2] The City of Bismarck completed acceptance trials on 20 October 2017[10] and its delivery was accepted by the U.S. Navy on 19 December 2017.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "City of Bismarck". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b "USNS City of Bismarck (EPF 9) Launched" (Press release). NAVSEA. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Austal USA celebrates christening of USNS City of Bismarck (EPF 9)" (Press release). Austal USA. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS City of Bismarck" (Press release). U.S. Navy. 19 December 2017. NNS171219-13. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Navy Names Multiple Ships" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 6 June 2013. 415-13. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Defense.gov News Release: Navy Names Multiple Ships". 2016-12-25. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  7. ^ "Navy Marks Milestones for Two Expeditionary Fast Transports" (Press release). U.S. Navy. 19 January 2017. NNS170119-03. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Navy Marks Milestones for Two Expeditionary Fast Transports". Naval Sea Systems Command. January 19, 2017. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  9. ^ WALA Webstaff (18 January 2017). "Keel laying ceremony for future USNS City of Bismarck at Austal". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Austal's EPF 9 Completes Acceptance Trials" (Press release). Austal USA. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
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  Media related to USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF-9) at Wikimedia Commons