I saw this the other day on my way to medical. Was surprised to see it up here. Completely forgot I saw it until your post.
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The SWO Picture Gallery for those so inclined
- Thread starter Schnugg
- Start date
I saw this the other day on my way to medical. Was surprised to see it up here. Completely forgot I saw it until your post.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Just thought I'd share a pic from the Panama Canal webcam. PSW and squorch are embarked...
I've always thought the Dazzle camo was pretty sweet looking.
Can't help but think it might be life imitating art, though.
(From Tomorrow Never Dies)
Life imitating art?
Actually, Tomorrow Never Dies borrowed from the Lockheed SeaShadow and a bit from the interlisland ferries that became the High Speed Vessel (HSV) so life came first.
SeaShadow
Stiletto is much smaller and entirely composite. It uses an entirely different hull design to mitigate shock when at speed. It's double M hull* traps air so that it gets up "on step" much like an LCAC without the weight penalty. The ride is exceedingly smooth.
M Ship designed Double Hull is evident in this shot
Note: Stiletto trivia - the "father" of Stiletto was a Naval Aviator protegee of the late VADM Cebrowski who sponsored its construction when he headed Office of Force Transformation. Of course, he was a SWO before heading to flight school, though.
*USN Image doesn't highlight that feature very well. I have images I shot in 2006 that do, but I'll have to find them first.
I've always thought the Dazzle camo was pretty sweet looking.
Can't help but think it might be life imitating art, though.
(From Tomorrow Never Dies)
Actually, Tomorrow Never Dies borrowed from the Lockheed SeaShadow and a bit from the interlisland ferries that became the High Speed Vessel (HSV) so life came first.
SeaShadow
Stiletto is much smaller and entirely composite. It uses an entirely different hull design to mitigate shock when at speed. It's double M hull* traps air so that it gets up "on step" much like an LCAC without the weight penalty. The ride is exceedingly smooth.
M Ship designed Double Hull is evident in this shot
Note: Stiletto trivia - the "father" of Stiletto was a Naval Aviator protegee of the late VADM Cebrowski who sponsored its construction when he headed Office of Force Transformation. Of course, he was a SWO before heading to flight school, though.
*USN Image doesn't highlight that feature very well. I have images I shot in 2006 that do, but I'll have to find them first.
There was an IA that popped up in 2006 or 2007 for an Air Ops position on the Comfort doing their S. American thing. One of the IPs at Whiting got tagged for it and if he hadn't just showed up (and married), it would have been a sweet deal. Apparently HSC thought so too and all of a sudden had a det that could do it. Away went the IA.
I still think that would be a sweet deal. Fly off and do your thing, then come back and land on a boat full of (female) nurses.
Speed is relative, but for surface vessels, this baby can rock
090603-N-2821G-017 MAYPORT, Fla. (June 3, 2009) The Department of Defense high-speed experimental boat Stiletto is shown pierside in Mayport before deploying to the Caribbean basin through the summer. The 88-foot long, 60-ton vessel will deploy under the operational control of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet under the tactical control of Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) to conduct counter illicit trafficking operations. Stiletto is manned by a joint Army and Navy crew and includes an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Det. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alan Gragg/Released)
This boat spent some time in the last couple years in Norfolk/Little Creek. It would blaze through Willoughby Bay, always impressive to watch.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
I know the guy who was supposed to do that IA, sounded like a good gig as far as IAs went. But his wife wasn't too happy about it.
LOL. You should off come over. I was on it many times in that timeframe operating minature Link 16 terminal. It arrived at Norfolk in spring of 2007 for Trident Warrior and was based out of old VC-6 drone recovery boat pens before going up the bay to the Advanced Maritime Technology Center (AMTC)* at NAS Patuxent River for speed trials. NSWC Carderock's Combatant Craft Department (CCD) based at Little Creek manages Stiletto for OSD AT&L.
If you like fast boats, CCD is hosting Multi-Agency Craft Conference at Little Creek 16-18 June. There will be a temporary pier erected hosting 60+ go-fast boats of all types.
*AMTC is co-managed by NAVSEA (CCD) and NAVAIR (AIR-4.6) and leverages aviation technology for use by SPECOPS and Combatant Craft utilized by NSW, NECC and USCG as well as other Govt agencies. It is also my home away from home.
I found it interesting that the Stiletto was in theater with me earlier this year, but the only reason I knew that was an article that was sent to me over email w/ a Navy press release saying it was there. It never came up on JOTTS (or whatever it's called now).
That was its initial demo at-sea period. Still not a Navy asset per se.
080611-N-0933M-062 GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (June 11, 2008) Stiletto sits pier side during a refueling before conducting counter-illicit trafficking operations in the Caribbean. Stiletto is a one-of-a-kind, experimental vessel designed for high-speed special operative amphibious insertions operated by Army mariners assigned to the 7th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division in Fort Eustis, Va. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nat Moger (Released)
Still, you'd think they'd come up on the net since they're doing the same mission...or at least to see if they can come up on the net.
Anyone else find it odd that soldiers attached to a "Mountain" division are based in the VA Tidewater and operating boats? :icon_tong
You're assuming it has the gear to comeup on the net and that's not a good assumption. The contract was a performance based instrument focused on speed so it was delivered like a racing boat devoid of all but rudimentary instruments/gauges and just enough power to run them. It didn't even have a hatch on the starboard side because that was extra weight.
Since it was a Transformation project, it had no budget for upgrades so sponsors had to tincup for C4ISR related gear. After all the speed runs for acceptance, it started getting an robust electrical bus and beginnings of sensors and comm gear (and the hatch seen in the picture). Most of the gear it carries (like our Link 16 terminal) is roll-on/roll-off or temporary like the SeaFLIR.
You know... I didn't give it a second thought, but now that you mention it, it makes plenty of sense
After all, we're probably short on our own SWOs what with so many deployed to the sandbox these days, oh, wait Minor threadjack about nontraditional hulled ships, the HSV SWIFT belongs to Military Sealift Command. (MSC is the same guys who own just about all of the oilers, cargo ships, and a the Navy's stray cats and dogs, stepchildren, orphans, etc. If you're into military history and military science then MSC is a topic to keep you going for a long, long time.). Even thought they look a lot alike these two vessels have different owners for various good reasons...
Random official picture of the Swift:
Gotcha. So what you're telling me is that the released "article" had factual errors in it. Say it ain't so!
Random official picture of the Swift:
A buddy of mine was on a det onboard her. Said it was great when they were doing their thing on station but was absolutely horrible on the transit from HI to their on station. Everyone was sick, including the pilots, due to seas and how it rode.