U.S. LAUNCHES CATAMARANS FOR WAR

[Aknauta]

Defense Tech.org

January 21, 2003

U.S. LAUNCHES CATAMARANS FOR WAR
Catamarans usually bring to mind island vacations, not war zones. But the U.S. military is about to send a high-speed, experimental catamaran to the Middle East in preparation for a possible Iraqi conflict.

The 370 foot Joint Venture HSV-X1 carries a helicopter, and can move 300 troops at a time. It can be used in a variety of roles, the Virginian-Pilot reports: "as a base and delivery vehicle for special operations forces, as a base for underwater vehicles for mine warfare, and as a medical treatment station that delivered patients to a hospital ship."


Most importantly, the HSV-X1 can do this all in a hurry: fully loaded, it skips along the oceans at 40 knots (46 miles per hour) -- more than three times faster than the Army's current Logistics Support Vessel.
link (http://www.defensetech.org/)

Descripion of ship including pictures from Navy Warfare Development Command:
Link (http://www.nwdc.navy.mil/HSV/ConceptHSV.asp)

[navyblue]

This sounds an awful lot like the idea that McNamara (the Harvard frat boy turned Sec. Of Defense about 40 years ago) came up with. *This may work in places like the Red Sea and maybe even the Med. *But I doubt a multi-hull vessel would do well in the Winter North Atlantic or the Pacific. *These things just do not have the sea worthiness of a single hull vessel. *I'm not a naval architect, just 40 years as a professional seaman.

[heldmyw]

I wonder what the sticker price on a MilSpec Harbor Ferry is?

Maybe with a BIG Catamaran carrier... Troops within a boat, within a boat and so on...

[Aknauta]

To tell the truth I have thought a lot about catamarans over the years. As a sailor I have tremendous respect for the full keel traditional sailing vessel, as a well found one withstands anything the ocean can throw at it. Catamarans are faster but have problems with heavy weather in the small 40-60 foot ranges. Catamarans that are longer than 100 feet have successfully weathered storms many times.

However when I consider the advanced world around me then watch a container ship sail past me on its way up the coast of California at 21 knots, I marvel at how little ships have changed in 100 years. This is one area where there is insufficient advancement.

The Russians got me to thinking when they developed their huge ground effect plane, more like a small cargo ship with stubby wings. Traveling at 250 MPH about 70 feet off the ocean seemed like a revolutionary idea to me. If we could develop faster ships we would bring naval ships into the modern era and revolutionize sea-born transportation.

I think the American Navy is now thinking outside the box for a change when they consider these interesting ships. A large catamaran is more stable in rough seas than the traditional displacement ship. It can travel faster in rough weather than can a traditional ship but I haven't seen a catamaran as large as most freighters until now. This new ship looks very interesting and at 40 MPH is a good beginning in a breakthrough vessel that the world needs. At these high speeds it is possible to avoid storms by simply driving around them.

I still think that a ground effect vessel will be the best solution but we need some stronger materials before it can be accomplished in vessels the size of freighters. My hat is off to the navy for taking the chance on new technology.

[heldmyw]

Maybe a REALLY big one of these...?
Landing Craft; Air Cushioned (http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-lcac.html)

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The landing craft air cushion (LCAC) is a high-speed, over-the-beach fully amphibious landing craft capable of carrying a 60-75 ton payload. It is used to transport weapons systems, equipment, cargo and personnel from ship to shore and across the beach... The air cushion allows this vehicle to reach more than 70 percent of the world's coastline, while conventional landing craft can land at only 15 percent of the coasts.
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Looks like fun! A four-bedroom house that'll do 45MPH across... anything! Talk about an RV!!

[Aknauta]

LOL...yeah, sounds interesting but I wonder what kind of fuel to weight ratio they get.....