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Caption:
The Joint Venture, a 313-foot, high-speed catamaran, puts out its
retractable docking ramp July 30 at the Del Mar boat basin on Camp
Pendleton, Calif., to off-load troops participating in Millennium
Challenge 2002, a joint exercise testing the military's effectiveness
against 21st century threats. Joint Venture can operate in water as
shallow as 12 feet, yet it's large enough to transport 12 light armored
vehicles plus logistics vehicles as well as approximately 350
combat-loaded troops in its plush, upholstered passenger lounge, said
Capt. William Mitchell, a spokesman for the exercise. The ship won't
replace any existing ship-to-shore logistics vessels, such as the
Landing Craft, Air Cushioned vehicle, said Mitchell. If implemented, it
will only add to the Corps' ability to practice Expeditionary Maneuver
Warfare. (Photo by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen)
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