The X-CRAFT becomes the Navy's newest littoral surface craft: On February 5, 2004, Congressman Duncan Hunter and his wife, the ship's sponsor, christened the experimental X-CRAFT "Sea Fighter" and designated it as the Navy's first "Fast Sea Frame" during a ceremony at the Nichols Bros. Boat Builders Plant in Whidbey Island, Washington. The high-speed, experimental vessel will test a variety of technologies that will allow the U.S. Navy to operate more effectively in littoral, or near-shore waters. The Sea Fighter will be used to evaluate the hydrodynamic performance, structure behavior, mission flexibility, and propulsion system efficiency of high-speed vessels, while...