"Sea Fighter" alters the look of the Navy (Seattle Times)

[icymist]

Friday, February 04, 2005 - Page updated at 12:53 A.M.



"Sea Fighter" alters the look of the Navy

By Sandi Doughton

Seattle Times staff reporter

The future of the Navy is sitting in a Whidbey Island shipyard, and Lt. Cmdr. Brandon Bryan can't wait to take her for a spin.

"It's the Navy's hottest sports car," said the Seattle native, gazing at the burnished aluminum catamaran that will be his next command.

Dubbed "Sea Fighter," the 262-foot ship will be the fastest vessel in the fleet, except for a few small patrol boats. The conservative estimate is that its 66,000-horsepower engines will push it to 50 knots, or about 57 mph, but Bryan says top speed will probably be closer to 60 knots, or nearly 70 mph.

Looking like something out of an early James Bond movie, the Sea Fighter is actually a souped-up version of a high-speed passenger catamaran, said Matt Nichols, president of Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, winners of the $46 million construction contract.

But the design marks a revolutionary change for the Navy, which since World War II has been dominated by huge aircraft carriers, destroyers and cruisers

More:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002170435_fastboat04m.html

[oneighty]

1. But

Can it outrun a fast 'anti-fast-ship-missile?'

180

[HereSince1628]

3. I think its meant to be stealthy

If the anti-ship missles can't see it then how much faster anti-ship missiles are won't matter so much.

[oneighty]

5. With cool nukes close will count

Perhaps radar image would be reduced but underwater sounds would not. In my Navy experience as an EOD tech I believe for every weapon there is a counter weapon and if not there soon will be.

This vessel has been on the wish list of military toy makers for years.

180

[Sterling]

11. Yes and the way it works is usually counters are cheaper.

Much much cheaper.

[Ripley]

2. Is that 46 mill for one boat?

Good thing our Economy is doing so well that we can afford souped up boats so Navy dicks can pretend they're James Bond.

[fryguy]

8. $46 Million for a boat is an absolute BARGAIN (if true)

when you consider -

the Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey costs $100 million each

the F-22 Raptor is estimated to cost $300 million each

each new Virginia class attack submarine will cost $2 BILIION

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25659-2004Oct11.html">source

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

4. Some Pictures of "the look"

hires of the above here: http://www.onr.navy.mil/media/gallery_category.asp?Cat=naval

[benburch]

6. No, we need things like this.

The Navy needs to be building the best and fastest and most deadly ships it can.

But the Navy needs to be under the command of an Elected President, and War must only be declared by a formal declaration of Congress.

[THUNDER HANDS]

7. it does?

I was unaware that Iran had a navy.

[fryguy]

9. yes it does

not that I think we need to be building newer vessels to match it, however - http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/navy.htm

on edit: put correct link

[THUNDER HANDS]

12. well, I'll be

What's next, Canada with an army?

[Nailzberg]

15. Canada has an army, I think you're thinking of Sweden.

It's Sweden that has no Army.

[THUNDER HANDS]

16. it was a joke

i know Canada has an army. But I really didn't know Iran had a navy. What is it, like a row boat with an AK 47 on it?

[Minstrel Boy]

17. "What is it, like a row boat with an AK 47 on it?"

It didn't take even that to almost sink the Cole.

FYI, here's an inventory of the Iranian navy. It's the smallest of the Iranian armed forces; only about 20,000 sailors.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ships.htm

The Iranian frigate class Alvand:


Iran has three Kilo-class Russian submarines:

[Nailzberg]

19. I got the joke, but it set me up to mention the Bush/Sweden gaffe.

And I ALWAYS have to take that one.

[seriousstan]

10. Your post looks like a non sequitur to me, but info is always of value....

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/navy.htm

[DrWeird]

20. Absolutely.

Our boondoggles must be bigger and fancier than other countries' boondoggles.

[bemildred]

13. A 66,000 HP engine has to leave quite a heat signature.

Sounds like a giant piece of toast.

[DELUSIONAL]

14. A fricking WAKE machine

As a sailboater in the Puget Sound -- I HATE the Bayliners etc that seem to deliberately cut in front of us and leave a HUGE wake behind that we have to maneuver through.

Then the fast whale watcher boats -- cut right in front of us -- we give them the finger and the passengers wave back. Idiots.

Now some hot-rod Navy idiots are going to cause more problems.

We've even had to evade the Trident Subs -- and other US Navy vessels -- some come with Coast Guard escorts.

And then the regular shipping traffic -- which does stay in their prescribed shipping lanes. . . . .

But I'd still rather be out on a sailboat in the Puget Sound -- with Killer Whales (Orcas) coming up for air while feeding -- and the birds etc. All of these things the fast boats miss. Once the fast motor boats were headed to a reported Orca sighting in a bay -- they passed right by a feeding pod of Orcas -- to see the ones the news was reporting.

Rant over.

[Boosterman]

18. Very cool

The modular ability sounds very promising and its dirt cheap...and that scares me. Sounds kinda fragile but it is just a test boat I think.

[daleo]

21. If peace ever breaks out, it could be a fast ferry.

It looks like the boat the B.C. government was working on a few years ago for the Vancouver to Vancouver Island ferry. It never really panned out, though. Cost overruns, and it couldn't handle big waves or something like that.