Navy testing advanced high-speed craft.The Navy plans begin testing the capabilities of its new Littoral littoral /lit·to·ral/ (lit´ah-r'l) pertaining to the shore of a large body of water. littoral pertaining to the shore. Surface Craft-Experimental, commonly referred to as "X-Craft." Developed by the Office of Naval Research The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), headquartered in Arlington, Virginia (Ballston), is the office within the U.S. Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S. , this high-speed, aluminum catamaran catamaran (kăt'əmərăn`), watercraft made up of two connected hulls or a single hull with two parallel keels. Originally used by the natives of Polynesia, the catamaran design was adopted by Western boat builders in the 19th cent. is designed to test a variety of technologies that could allow the Navy to operate more effectively in littoral, or shallow, waters. Officially, the ship's been named Sea Fighter Sea Fighter 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. . X-Craft marks the first time a catamaran was designed and built specifically for the Navy. When fully loaded, Sea Fighter can reach a speed of more than 50 knots and could travel up to 4,000 nautical miles without refueling. Powered by a combination of diesel engines and gas turbines, the 262-foot platform will serve as a test bed for a number of new technologies. The 26-member inaugural crew represents a mix of Navy and Coast Guard personnel. |
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