The X-Craft - a potential solution to littoral warfare requirements

摘要

As highlighted previously in Warship Technology, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in the US has commissioned the design and build of an experimental vessel that will be used to demonstrate mission modularity and evaluate hydrodynamic performance, structural behaviour, and propulsion system efficiency of high speed vessel technology suitable for use in the littoral. The vessel, now known as the X-Craft, is a 1,000 tonne catamaran, required to carry up to 700 tonnes of deadweight and be capable of operating at a maximum speed of 50 knots and at 45 knots in Sea State 4. The craft was also to be capable of high speed self deployment over 4000nm.