Sea Fighter
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Career | |
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Ordered: | |
Laid down: | |
Launched: | 9 February 2005 |
Commissioned: | |
Fate: | Active in service as of 2006. |
Stricken: | |
General characteristics | |
Displacement: | 950 tons |
Length: | 262 feet (79.9 meters) |
Beam: | 72 feet (22 meters) |
Draft: | 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) |
Propulsion: | Combined diesel or gas turbine |
Speed: | 50 knots |
Range: | 4,400 nautical miles |
Complement: | 4 officers, 22 enlisted (Navy & Coast Guard) |
Aircraft: | 2 helipads, UAV capable |
Sea Fighter is an experimental littoral surface combat vessel under development by the United States Navy.
The vessel is of a catamaran design capable of high speed and of operations on open ocean and in shallow waters. The vessel is being developed unter the program title Littoral Surface Craft-Experimental (LSC(X)) with a hull type designation Fast Sea Frame. The first vessel has been assigned the hull number FSF 1 and also has been referred to as the X-Craft.
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[edit] Description
The Sea Fighter is a catamaran hull type of aluminum construction, with advanced hull shaping to allow for speeds of 50 knots and greater. Designed as a sea frame, the vessel design is fully configurable to meet a variety of mission requirements, including mine warfare, anti-submarine operations, amphibious assault support, surface warfare, and transport and logistical missions. This is accomplished through the use of pre loaded mission boxes. Resembling shipping containers, these mission specific containers are easily loaded and stored on the "Sea Fighters" inner deck, allowing the ship to quickly be configured for a variety of missions, including cruise missile launch and special forces interdiction operations. The vessel has the capability of launching small craft up to 11 m in length from the stern, including assault craft and submersibles. The vessel also has a twin-pad helicopter deck capable of operating aircraft up to the size of an H-60 type, including unmanned aerial vehicles, and landing helicopters while traveling at speeds of up to 50 kts. A special deck lighting system has been developed for "Sea Fighter" using low intensity green lighting around the vessels edges and heilopads. This lighting is particularly effective when using night vision goggles, making landings on the vessel easier than on conventional warships, even at the higher speeds in which "Sea Fighter" operates.
The basic design has a displacement of 1,100 tons while measuring 73 m long and 22 m broad. Power is provided by a CODOG arrangement comprising two MTU 595 diesel engines and two LM2500 gas turbines. Diesel power is used for cruise while the turbines provide high power output for high speed operation. The two gas turbines power the vessels twin water jets, drawing water from the bottom stern of each hull and powering it through large water turbines, which are responsible for the vessel's remarkable speed. Each water jet has thrust vectoring and thrust reversers making it possible for "Sea Fighter" to move sideways while docking, or even traveling in reverse. Thrust vectoring also makes it possible for "Sea Fighter" to make dramatic evasive maneuvers while traveling at high speed. This would prevent the craft from being forced to shore or into the path of enemy vessels.
"Sea Fighter's" forward superstructure consists of a bridge on the lower deck, and a flight operations station on top. The bridge is relatively small, and generally manned by a crew of three. The bridge control stations incorporate glass displays using the latest in navigational aids to assist "Sea Fighter" in patrolling coastal areas while operating at high speed. Maneuvering "Sea Fighter" is more reminiscent of the operation of a LCAC than a conventional warship. Above the bridge is a small flight operations station with room for only one operator. This glass enclosed station provides an excellent view of the entire flight deck, and allows the operator to coordinate the approach and landing of heilocopters, and loading of the vessel's mission containers, as well as providing visual aid for navigation.
The first vessel of the type (FSF 1) was constructed at the Nichols Shipyard at Long Beach, California, under the cupervision of Titan Industries. Nichols Shipyard was selected because of their previous experience in the construction of aluminium hulled high speed ferries.
[edit] Role
The Sea Fighter is destined for employment by the Office of Naval Research as a testbed for technologies related to the Navy's littoral combat ship effort, as well as direct testing of the hull design. Once trials are completed, the Navy will have the option of outfitting the vessel for operational deployment.
[edit] Future development
The Navy and Coast Guard are jointly exploring the possability of further development of the "Sea Fighter" type vessel for use in patrolling U.S. coastal waters. With an effictive range of 4,400 nautical miles unrefueled the type could also be deployed quickly overseas for similar duties. "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. Such vessels would be capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean unrefueled, and 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.
[edit] Concerns
Some concern has been raised with regard to the use of aluminium almost exclusively in the construction of the "Sea Fighter" hull, as well as future vessels based on the design. While aluminium is very strong and light, its property of catching fire as a result of a missile or explosive impact could result in a ship that would burn easily and uncontrollably, resulting in a significant loss of life in the event of a successful strike upon the hull.