MOBILE, Ala. (Sept. 8, 2011) The Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), the first of 10 Navy joint high-speed vessels designed for rapid intra-theater transport of troops and military equipment, prepares for its Sept. 17 christening ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. The 338-foot-long aluminum catamarans are designed to be fast, flexible and maneuverable even in shallow waters, making them ideal for transporting troops and equipment quickly within a theater of operations. (U.S. Navy photo Courtesy Austal USA/Released)

MOBILE, Ala. (Aug. 31, 2011) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead reviews the construction of the littoral combat ship Coronado (LCS 4) during a tour of the Austal USA Module Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Shannon Eve Renfroe/Released)

PENSACOLA, Fla. (Sept. 12, 2011) The littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2) makes preparations at Naval Air Station Pensacola before getting underway in the Gulf of Mexico for a series of drills and training exercises. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Caleb White/Released)