Swedish Visby-Class Corvette Is First Operational Stealth Ship in the World [PHOTOS]

Gizmodo ^ | 6 Feb., 2009 | Gizmodo

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

 

 

The future is here: This water-based Imperial Star Destroyer is really the spectacular Swedish Visby-Class corvette, the first operational stealth ship in the world, powered with silent waterjets and made with non-magnetic composite materials.

According to the experts, the corvettes are "electronically undetectable at more than 8 miles in rough seas and at more than 13.5 miles in calm seas". Their creation was an answer to the incursion of foreign submarines in Swedish waters in the mid-eighties.

The corvettes are designed to travel at more than 35 knots in between the many beautiful islands that populate Sweden's shallow coast, thanks to waterjets-made by Rolls-Royce subsidiary Kamewa-that reduce their draft. Their mission will be to quickly patrol their territorial waters while hunting for enemy submarines and other ships.

While I prefer to travel the Swedish coast on a sailing ship, I wouldn't mind getting a quick surf on these things when they enter in service at the end of this year (as they are probably staffed with non-stealth blonde valkyries.)

[Naval Technology]

[Jeff F]

Some would argue that the French Lafayette class frigates were the first stealth vessels.

No way - the CSS Texas, January 1865, got there first...

[Islander7]

How can you take pictures of a ship that is supposed to be “invisible”? {:-)

[Uncle Miltie]

Pretty sure radar can pick up that wake.

[bgill]

Of course, radar isn’t confused by paint which means the paint is there for human eyes and I’ve never seen a 90 degree wave. But then the Navy didn’t ask me so it’s mute.

[miele man]

Hmmm. Wouldn’t those red flags raise uh, a “red flag”?

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

LOL!!!

[Bender2]

I am assuming this is a model, but whatever-— Where is this craft and is there a link to it?

[Texan Tory]

"Ouch ... that hurts to look at..."

I think you're exaggerating a little. If your comment had been about this picture:

then you would have been making an understatement.

[ArrogantBustard]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jeff F]

The photo is from the movie Sahara. You can read about the actual CSS Texas on Wikipedea: CSS_Texas.

Sadly, there are not surviving Civil War era records of her sonar, and infrared signature, and radar cross section tests results.

[Bender2]

Re: The photo is from the movie Sahara.

Gadzooks! Of course... excuse my senior moment!

[Eye of Unk]

THAT is one sexy looking ship!

Oh would I love to have something like that in the 85-125’ range.

[alarm rider]

Nice looking craft. I have a question however for you Swede experts.

Who would Sweden be fighting with this craft? Are they worried about defense, and if so, who are they worried about?

Just curious.

[ExpatGator]

T’was my first thought as well. I’ve navigated some tight channels, but that looks harrowing.

[Vendome]

I wish I had enough money for one of these.

[ArrogantBustard]

The article references submarines violating their territorial waters.

I'll give you three guesses who owns those submarines.

[alarm rider]

I saw that, but I was unsure. The Russkies?

Seems interesting that they would spend that much time and money developing this ship if they weren’t nervous.

Anyway, thanks for the information.

[ArrogantBustard]

It was indeed USSR/Russia. It’s not entirely clear (at least, that anybody is willing to talk about) what they were up to, but Sweden has been perturbed about the whole business for years.

[wtc911]

Very pretty, but can they fight?

[Gene Eric]

Aircraft carrier.