Austal USA To Build Catamaran For Naval Research

Sea Power, Feb 2004

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has commissioned Austal USA to build a lightweight high-speed catamaran that will be used to demonstrate advanced hull-form technology.

Austal will build a 31.2-meter Sea-Coaster catamaran for American Marine Holdings under a $4.5 million contract for ONR. The ship will be built at Austal's facility in Mobile, Ala., where the company is building a 58-meter catamaran for a ferry operator.

The SeaCoaster will be powered by four diesel engines and four surface-piercing propellers to speeds greater than 50 knots. The vessel will draw 3.35 meters. The design features "cavities in each hull into which air is blown with the aim of reducing resistance and thus allowing for higher speeds to be obtained," Austal officials said in a release.

Austal has provided four other high-speed catamarans to the U.S. military for experimental use: the HSV-1X Joint Venture, now in Army service; the TSV-1X Spearhead, also in Army use; HSV-2 Swift, delivered last summer to the Navy; and the Westpac Express, leased by the Military Sealift Command for use by the Marine Corps.