1.
M80 Stiletto
The
M80 Stiletto is equipped with four C32 1232 kW (1652 HP) engines manufactured
by the Caterpillar, Inc., yielding a top speed in excess of 50 knots (90 km/h)
and a range of 500 nautical miles (900 km) when fully loaded. It can be
outfitted with jet drives for shallow water operations and beaching. This
extreme performance is based on M Ship Co.’s proprietary, globally patented
technology, retaking the bow wave using its energy to create an air cushion for
more efficient planing. It weighs 45 tons and carries 2,000 sq. ft. of cargo.
It cost roughly $6 million but the fully equipped vessel with cost $10 million.
The
design and construction of this vessel made from carbon fiber for reduced
weight and added rigidity. You will be seeing these vessels operational in
littoral or coastal zone. The M80 Stiletto is also notable because it is the
largest U.S. Naval vessel built using carbon fibre composite and epoxy building
techniques, which yields a very light, but strong hull.
The
Stiletto has been popular for its efficiency, low cost, innovation, higher
payload fraction, agility, shock mitigation, shallow draft and stealth which
are the new priorities for the next generation naval craft.
2.
Sea Shadow (IX-529)
A
futuristic-looking vessel with a shape reminiscent of Darth Vader’s helmet, Sea
Shadow is a test platform for researching advanced technologies in propulsion,
automation, sea-keeping and reduced signatures. Sea Shadow provides government
and industry an opportunity to test new technologies at sea before committing
to using them in new ship designs.Sea Shadow has a SWATH hull design. Below the
water are submerged twin hulls, each with a propeller, aft stabilizer, and
inboard canard. The portion of the ship above water is connected to the hulls
via the two angled struts. The SWATH design helps the ship remain stable even
in very rough water of up to sea state 6 (wave height of 18 feet (5.5 m) or
“very rough” sea).
The
T-AGOS 19-and-23-class oceanographic ships have inherited the stabilizer and
canard method to help perform their stability-sensitive surveillance missions.
The vehicle cost approximately $50 million to build and the total test program
is approximately $195 million over roughly 10 years. It is owned by the Navy
and operated by LMSC personnel.
3.
Sea Fighter
The
Sea Fighter is an aluminum catamaran designed to operate effectively in
littoral, or coastal, waters. It can maneuver in as little as 11 feet (3.35 m)
of water. The hull number FSF-1 stands for “fast sea frame” and is the first
U.S. Naval vessel to have a catamaran design. The experimental vessel will be
used to test the hydrodynamic performance, structural performance, structural
behavior, mission flexibility and propulsion-system efficiency of high-speed
vessels.
A
multi-purpose stern ramp allows the ship to launch and recover manned and
unmanned surface and sub-surface vehicles up to the size of an 11-meter Rigid
Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB). From its flight deck, the Sea Fighter can operate
while supporting two H-60 helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing tactical
unmanned aerial vehicles (VTUAV) at a time. The ship has a modern computer
system to control its systems and for navigation. Steering and throttle control
are done by wire rather than mechanical linkage.
Sea
Fighter is expected to pave the way for a future line of fast, long range
destroyers capable of travelling fast enough to avoid or out maneuver most of
the current generation of torpedoes. They have a very low radar signature,
making detection difficult. They would be able to respond quickly to targets
located by air or satellite and aggressively attack surface and submerged
vessels using their speed to evade torpedo and missile attack.
4.
P960 Skjold Patrol Boat
The
Skjold class patrol boats is a new range of superfast, large stealth missile
craft, also known as MTBs (missile torpedo boats). The word Skjold means
“shield” in Norwegian. The flexibility inherent in Skjold is interesting also
to other navies. They are among the fastest warships in the world and can reach
speeds of up to 60 knots / 110 km/t. An important capability of the Skjold is
its covert operational capability in littoral warfare, particularly in using
Norway’s coastal topography with its islands and fjords, to carry out
surveillance and engage hostile forces from a close distance while remaining
undetected. The shallow draught of 0.9m to 2.3m allows the ship to access very
shallow waters denied to other vessels.
To
ensure stealth capabilities radar absorbent materials (RAM) have been used in
the load-bearing structures over large areas of the ship. This strategy leads
to significant weight saving compared to conventional construction techniques
of applying RAM cladding to the external surfaces. The ship’s profile has a
faceted appearance with no right angle structures and few orientations of
reflective panels. Doors and hatches are flush with the surfaces and the
windows are flush without visible coaming (edge of window aperture) and are
fitted with radar reflective screens.
5.
FNS Tornio
The
FNS Tornio has been designed and constructed as stealth ships with minimal
magnetic, heat and radar signatures. The shape of the vessel has been designed
to reduce radar signature. Metal parts have been covered with radar absorbent
material, and the composite parts have radar absorbent material embedded in the
structure. Radar transparent materials (kevlar, balsa) have been used where
applicable.
“It’s
harder to find this vessel and harder for an aeroplane to attack us,” adds LtSG
Lehto, commanding officer of the Hamina-class fast attack craft (FAC), FNS
Tornio. This vessel is equipped with legacy weapons and combat data system fit
that included 40 mm and 23 mm guns and an electro-optronic director. Trials
resulted in the improvements seen first in ship two, Tornio, which includes
Umkhonto vertical launch surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), RBS 15SF
surface-to-surface missiles and a Bofors 57 mm gun, integrated with the
Advanced Naval Combat System (ANCS) SQ 2000.
Source:
By Tomy John. 30 September 2008
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