Stealthy Maybe, Invisable - I think not.
Posted on 05/20/2005 1:20:52 AM PDT by XavierXray
The American elite Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, Land) are increasingly interested in Umoe Mandal's speed boats that are 'invisible' to radar. Now the shipyard has a study contract with the SEALs.
Umoe Mandal has Norway's military as a client, and the Norwegian navy will buy a total of six of the stealth "Skjold" (Shield) speed boats by 2008.
Now billionaire Jens Ulltveit-Moe hopes that the SEALs interest in the swift stealth vessels will also lead to a future sales contract.
"The Norwegian "Skjold" boat was on loan for a year's testing by special forces after Sept. 11, 2001. Our marketing goes all the way back to that time," said Umoe Mandal CEO Peter Klemsdal.
Now the shipyard has secured a study deal where the Navy SEALs will evaluate how the "Skjold" craft can meet American needs.
"They don't want heavy weapons on it, they want to use it as a stealth transport vessel. It will probably carry soldiers in to a coast under the cover of darkness. They can do what they came for and get back out," Klemsdal said.
Klemsdal remains calm about the study deal.
"We are doing well when they are interested enough to pay us to be there. This is great but there is still a long way to go," Klemsdal said.
A possible deal with the SEALs is likely to mean a huge breakthrough for the yard. Since the SEALs can in principle be operative anywhere in the world it is likely that they would need 8-10 stealth vessels. The contract with Norway's military for six ships is worth NOK 2 billion.
In the event of a contract Umoe Mandal is ready to buy into a small shipyard in the USA to meet political pressure for national participation in military projects.
Stealthy Maybe, Invisable - I think not.
Ping
LOL!
"Where is it?"
"I can't see it!"
"Oh, there it i....BOOOM!!"
Man that really works great !! lol...
Maybe rework SDV into StelDeV...Stealth Delivery Vehicle.
great job!
Maybe I'm concerned about the wrong things here.
This is were Photoshop comes in handy.
"Image does NOT represent actuall product" ;)
What can brown do for you?
Some here may recall the Norwegian "Nasty Boats" from the 60s. They seem to be a step ahead. Or is it a wave ahead?
Matthew 7:7 :^)
http://www.mandal.umoe.no/web/um/um200.nsf/files/0000919%20The%20Skjold%20Class.pdf/$FILE/0000919%20The%20Skjold%20Class.pdf
Even a Nasty was stealthy...Plywood....Fast with the NDs...Beat the puke out of just about anyone....Real Navy....
If it doesn't show up on radar at night....that's enough.
Get a little ways off and the color pattern would blend in. White boats are stealthy to large vessels especially along the California coast. White looks like the white caps of the waves and with their size they are lost to radar in the sea clutter. Throw in a little fog and you have a navigators nightmare.
There has never been a ship built that does not show up on radar. The best you can do is reduce the signature, but with a catamaran hull you have a LARGE built in radar reflector under the bow.
Welcome to the 21st Century. You will notice opon arrival that our armed forces no longer rely on spotters in the crows nest but no use this special thing called RADAR. You may also like our TOASTERS - they save a lot bread from the fireplace.
;-)
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