Sea Fighter

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Career (United States Navy)
Sea Fighter (FSF-1)
Ordered:	15 February 2003
Builder:	Nichols Bros. Boat Builders, Freeland, Washington^[1]
Laid down:	5 June 2003
Launched:	5 February 2005
In service:	31 May 2005^[2]
Status:	Active in service as of 2008
General characteristics
Displacement:	950 tons
Length:	262 ft (79.9 m)
Beam:	72 ft (22 m)
Draft:	11.5 ft (3.5 m)
Propulsion:	Combined diesel or gas turbine
Speed:	50 knots (90 km/h)
Range:	4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km)
Complement:	4 officers, 22 enlisted (Navy and Coast Guard)
Aviation facilities:	2 helipads, UAV capable

Sea Fighter (FSF-1) is an experimental littoral combat ship under development by the United States Navy. Its hull is of a SWATH design, providing exceptional stability, even in high seas. The ship can operate in both blue and littoral waters. For power, it can use either its dual gas turbine engines for speed or its dual diesel engines for efficient cruising. It can be easily reconfigured through the use of interchangeable mission modules.^[3] Helicopters can land and launch on its deck. Smaller water craft can be carried and launched from its stern. The vessel is being developed under 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 classification symbol FSF 1^[2] and also has been referred to as the X-Craft.

1 Description
2 Role
3 Future development
4 Concerns
5 References
6 See also

[edit] Description

A helicopter lands on Sea Fighter underway

Sea Fighter's hull is of a SWATH design, constructed out of aluminum. The SWATH design gives Sea Fighter exceptional stability, even in high seas. This is accomplished by placing most of the ship's displacement below the level of the waves (like a submarine) where all the kinetic energy of the sea surface is located. Conversely, ships with traditional hull designs have most of their displacement in the wave level of the sea, causing them to roll and pitch in the waves.

With twin gas turbine engines, twin water jets, and a streamlined hull, Sea Fighter is capable of speeds of 50 knots (90 km/h) and greater. It is designed to be a sea frame that can carry interchangeable mission modules resembling shipping containers. These modules allow it to be easily reconfigured to meet a variety of mission requirements, including mine warfare, anti-submarine operations, amphibious assault support, surface warfare, transport and logistical missions, cruise missile launch, and special forces interdiction operations. The mission modules are easily loaded and stored on Sea Fighter’s inner deck.

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 knots (90 km/h). A special deck lighting system has been developed for Sea Fighter using low intensity green lighting around the vessel's edges and helipads. 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 cruising 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 Landing Craft, Air Cushioned (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 helicopters, and loading of the vessel's mission containers, as well as providing visual aid for navigation.

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.

The first vessel of the type (FSF 1) was constructed at the Nichols Bros. Boat Builders shipyard at Freeland, Washington, under contract to Titan Corporation, a subsidiary of L-3 Communications.^[1]^[4]^[5] Nichols Shipyard was selected because of their previous experience in the construction of aluminum-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

Sea Fighter in San Diego with USS Rentz

The Navy and Coast Guard are jointly exploring the possibility of further development of Sea Fighter-type vessels for use in patrolling U.S. coastal waters. With an effective range of 4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km) 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 aluminum almost exclusively in the construction of Sea Fighter’s hull, as well as future vessels based on the design. While aluminum 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.