Sea Fighter (FSF-1)

Sea Fighter (FSF-1)
Sea Fighter (FSF-1)
History
United States
NameSea Fighter
Ordered15 February 2003
BuilderNichols Bros. Boat Builders, Freeland, Washington[3]
Costbetween $180 and $220 million[2]
Laid down5 June 2003
Launched10 February 2005
Christened7 February 2005
In service31 May 2005[1]
IdentificationFSF-1
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
TypeExperimental littoral combat ship
Displacement1,600 tons
Length262 ft (79.9 m)
Beam72 ft (21.9 m)
Draft11.5 ft (3.5 m)
PropulsionCombined diesel or gas turbine
Speed55 knots (102 km/h)
Range4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km)
Complement4 officers, 22 enlisted (Navy and Coast Guard)
Aviation facilities2 helipads, UAV capable

Sea Fighter (FSF-1) is an experimental littoral combat ship in service with the United States Navy. Its hull is of a small-waterplane-area twin-hull (SWATH) design, provides exceptional stability, even on rough 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.[4] 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[1] and also has been referred to as the X-Craft. The vessel was designed by British company BMT Nigel Gee who continue with a role in the development of the vessel.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b "SEA FIGHTER (FSF 1)". U.S. Naval Vessel Register. U.S. Navy. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  2. ^ "Sea Fighter (FSF 1) Fast Sea Frame Littoral Surface Craft-Experimental LSC(X)". Global Security.
  3. ^ "Sea Fighter for the U.S. Navy". Nichols Bros. Boat builders. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  4. ^ Journalist 3rd Class (SW) Nick Young (3 August 2005). "Navy Sea Fighter Makes San Diego Home (Story Number: NNS050803-02)". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 2 March 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ BMT Technical paper on the project. http://media.bmt.org/bmt_media/resources/29/Paper49-TheX-Crafta73mExperimentalPlatformfortheUSNavy.pdf Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine[bare URL PDF]
  6. ^ Design specifications, plans and images. http://media.bmt.org/bmt_media/resources/29/NG427-SeaFighterFSF1.pdf Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine[bare URL PDF]