March 6, 2006. Copyright 2006, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Faster smoother ride for U.S. Navy's new vessel
By Mark Rutter

LONDON, March 6, Graphic News:  The U.S. Department of Defence has just started putting its new carbon-fibre boat through its paces with a view to examining its potential role in future conflicts. Not only is the Stiletto the largest ever carbon craft built by the U.S. Navy, it also has a number of novel features that could eventually change the nature of sea warfare.

Measuring 24 metres long and 12 metres wide (80 feet by 40 feet), the Stiletto has five hulls arranged in a novel double ÒMÓ shape. As the boat picks up speed, the M-hull lifts it up out of the water so that it travels mainly on air. With the viscosity of air being only a fraction of that of water, the drag or friction on the boat is greatly reduced. Together with the lightweight carbon fibre construction material and four powerful caterpillar engines, this means that it can travel more quickly -- at an impressive 50 knots. Fuel efficiency is also improved, with the Stiletto able to cover around 500 nautical miles on a full tank.

The novel hull design also has the advantage that it channels the water displaced under the vessel as it moves, resulting in hardly any waves. The Stiletto is also designed for operating in shallow water such as inshore areas, rivers and even for beach landings. It is suitable for operation by a crew of three, with space for carrying 12 commandos and an 11-metre (36-foot) inflatable boat. The navy is also examining the possibility of carrying small remote-controlled aircraft on board. Another key feature of the technology is the advanced electronic communication systems built into the vessel. This is likely to be employed for surveillance, operating weapons, and mine detection, or as a hub to support special operations.

Carbon fibre provides a relatively inexpensive material that allows boats to be built quickly. The Stiletto cost $6 million to build and it is estimated that the cost of the testing and development phase, which is under the control of the Pentagon's Office of Force Transformation (OFT), will be similar. The U.S. Navy sees the testing as an opportunity to increase its experience of carbon ships and to stimulate more research in the technology, which the U.S. has so far lagged behind several other countries in embracing. Now the technology is set to take off with naval authorities expressing an interest in deploying a number of carbon M-hull boats of various sizes up to 200 feet (61 metres) long. One idea is to join several of these small boats together to form a large ÒseabaseÓ ship from which several smaller fast boats could detach themselves and operate independently.

The initial testing phase however, will concentrate on exploring the possible uses of this state of the art boat, carrying the latest electronic communications equipment, in modern warfare or in situations that might arise in the future. One thing's for sure; the war on terror will be near the top of the list of any potential deployment options.
/ENDS