One Weird Lookin' Ship
Just sayin'. (If you'd like to learn more about the Sea Fighter (FSF-1), currently operating off the coast of San Diego, you can go here; background info is here and here.)
posted by Bubblehead at 5:10 PM
Monday, December 12, 2005
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- Name: Bubblehead
- Location: Meridian, Idaho, United States
I'm Joel Kennedy -- a married, 50-something year old retired submarine officer and esophageal cancer survivor with three kids who has finally made the transition to civilian life. Politically, I'm a Radical Moderate. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me. Don't call me at home.)
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7 Comments:
Seafighter? Did I miss some hidden guns or missiles? And God love the Navy, for making another ship out of aluminum, so us yardbirds can keep making a decent living.
12/12/2005 8:09 PM
There are a whole series of Trimarans that have been undergoing tests with the Marines, Army and Navy. So far they look great. They just extended the lease on the WestPac Express. She can carry a battalion of Marines and 500 tons of their vehicles. Can go up to 40kts.
This is a vast improvement over the older amphibs.
There is also talk about this little seafighter (operated by the coast guard and Navy for anti-drug ops) and stuffing it with Tomahawk missiles. Figure 100 as a starting number. If they used the WestPac Express for Tomahawks, they could carry about 400-500 missiles.
That would ruin anyones day.
The new aluminum ships also get special platings to make them more resistant to problems. My DE was aluminum above the weatherdeck, and it was a lot of work. These new ships take advantage of technology to make them very resistant to corrosion.
12/12/2005 10:13 PM
EW3, I'm sorry to say this, but aluminum is NOT a good marine material. I'm a shipfitter. I've made a decent living repairing aluminum. I was almost sad to see the Burkes go all-steel. The think about aluminum is that when you have to repair it (and repair it you will)it's going to cost the Navy (and you, through your taxes) a lot more money than if you'd worked with steel. Welders absolutely hate the stuff, because it's so damn picky about wanting to stay clean. And when you start welding it, it will suck (by heat) impurities into the weld zone. Aluminum is a lot more porous than steel, and will soak all manner of things up. Now, if the average sailor was able to keep up with all the corrosion control, and keep it primed and painted....Nah...not enough sailors for that.
12/12/2005 10:54 PM
Byron - certainly am not going to argue with s shipfitter. What I wonder is there are a lot of these ships in use all over the world. They are used in Boston Harbor for everything from commuter boats to whale watching boats.
How do commercial operations put up with the high cost of maintenance? They are much more cost sensitive than the military.
12/13/2005 7:27 AM
Didn't the Navy can the Sea Streak project back in the 80s? James Bond cribbed the boat in Tomorrow Never Dies.
12/13/2005 11:55 AM
Nope, that was the Sea Shadow, a tech test bed, which is still in use, if my memory serves
12/13/2005 3:40 PM
Actually we have several cats in use right now. One is WestPac Express, that the Navy uses to transport Marines in. Considered very successfull. They just reknewd the lease for another year.
Also the Army has it's own cat it operates.
Google HSV-1 and HSV-2 for them.
12/13/2005 6:07 PM
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