Sea Slice Explained

-- warships except submarines -->
Ship Image:USN experimental Small water area vessel.jpg
Ship Caption:USN experimental Small water area vessel.
Ship Country:United States
Ship Builder:
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Nichols Brothers Shipyards
  • Pacific Marine & Supply Company, Ltd.
Ship Fate:Scrapped 2019
Ship Tonnage:180 tons
Ship Length:104feet
Ship Beam:55feet
Ship Armament:

HSV Sea Slice was an experimental vessel, built by Lockheed Martin,[1] for the United States Navy, later used in commercial service.

History

Based on a variant of the SWATH hull design, known as "SLICE," Sea Slice is characterized by four teardrop-shaped submerged hulls—double the number seen on most previous designs. The design reduces waves and drag, which allows a SWATH vessel to "...operate at higher speeds while retaining their characteristic low motions in a seaway".[2] Designed for operation in the same area as, and to mount similar armament to, a littoral combat ship-type corvette,[3] the planned weapon options included the Millennium Gun and the NetFires System, intended to launch Lockheed's (now cancelled) Loitering Attack Munition.

Sea Slice was withdrawn from Navy service and made available for purchase for civilian use,[4] and purchased by Danish company, Advanced Offshore Solutions ApS, for conversion to a wind farm support vessel.[5] [6]

In May 2019 the vessel was scrapped in Esbjerg, Denmark after a failed attempt to repair the engine.[7]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Experimental Sea Slice. Department of Defense. Baddorf. Zack . 7 June 2005. 2008-02-01.
  2. Web site: Navy.mil – View Image . Zack Baddorf . 30 November 2005 . United States Navy.
  3. Web site: GlobalSecurity.org . Sea SLICE . 11 June 2009.
  4. Web site: Jalopnik . You Can Buy This Crazy Experimental Littoral Combat Ship For $180,000! . 3 February 2015 . 7 April 2016.
  5. News: Sea Slice to go to work as wind farm support vessel. 16 November 2015. MarineLog. 12 November 2015.
  6. Web site: Equasis: Ship Search. French Ministry for Transport. 16 November 2015.
  7. Web site: Eksperimentelt krigsskib med tidligere Baywatch-rolle bliver nu skrottet i Esbjerg. 2019-04-05. jv.dk. da. 2019-05-14.