The Joint High Speed Vessel program is managed by PMS 385. It is a Navy-led acquisition of a platform intended to support users in the Department of the Navy and Department of the Army. The Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) program is a cooperative effort for a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intra-theater transport of medium sized cargo payloads. JHSV will reach speeds of 35-45 knots and allow for the rapid transit and deployment of conventional or special forces as well as equipment and supplies.

The JHSV will be capable of transporting personnel, equipment and supplies over operational distances in support of maneuver and sustainment operations. The JHSV will be able to transport Army and Marine Corps company-sized units with their vehicles, or reconfigure to become a troop transport for an infantry battalion. This will enable units to transit operational distances while maintaining unit integrity, reducing the need for conducting RSO&I operations following offload.

The JHSV will include a flight deck for helicopter operations and an off-load ramp that will allow vehicles to quickly drive off the ship. The ramp will be suitable for the types of austere piers and quay walls common in developing countries. JHSV’s shallow draft (under 15 feet) will further enhance littoral operations and port access.   This makes the JHSV an extremely flexible asset for support of a wide range of operations including maneuver and sustainment, relief operations in small or damaged ports, flexible logistics support, or as the key enabler for rapid transport.

Initially, both the Department of the Army and the Department of the Navy pursued separate programs to meet their requirements for intra-theater connectors. However, a decision was made to combine efforts, as collaboration between the Army and Navy would offer increased cost savings for both armed services. The JHSV program combines the Army's Theater Support Vessel (TSV) program with the Navy and Marine Corps High Speed Connector (HSC).

The Navy's Program Executive Office, Ships will conduct acquisition for both the Army and Navy, but each service will fund its own ships. After delivery, each service will be responsible for manning, maintaining, and providing full lifecycle support for their respective vessels.

The JHSV program received Milestone A approval in May 2006.  The Navy awarded Phase One preliminary design contracts in early 2008, and a detail design and construction contract in the 4th Quarter of FY08.

Four High Speed Vessels, (HSV-X1 JOINT VENTURE,  HSV-2 SWIFT, TSV-1X SPEARHEAD, and WESTPAC EXPRESS) have been employed for experimentation and demonstration of high speed vessel technologies as well as for logistics support.  JOINT VENTURE and SWIFT have already been used to support operations in the Global War on Terrorism and during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They have been deployed to the Horn of Africa, Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia. Additionally, HSV-2 SWIFT supported relief operations in Indonesia and in the Gulf Coast region following hurricane Katrina. In both cases, SWIFT's high speed and shallow draft combined to make it an ideal platform for the delivery of relief supplies and support of other platforms operating in the area. During operations following Katrina, SWIFT was able to access ports inaccessible to other ships in the logistics force, and therefore played a critical role in the early delivery of supplies.  WESTPAC EXPRESS has been used extensively for support to the Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in the western Pacific.