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

Sea Slice
USN experimental Small water area vessel.
History
United States
Builder
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Nichols Brothers Shipyards
  • Pacific Marine & Supply Company, Ltd.
CostUS$15 million
IdentificationIMO number9113252
FateScrapped 2019
General characteristics
Tonnage180 tons
Length104 ft (32 m)
Beam55 ft (17 m)
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Armament

History edit

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Sea Slice was withdrawn from Navy service and made available for purchase for civilian use,[4] and purchased by Danish company, Advanced Offshore Solutions ApS, for conversion to a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

 
Sea Slice being scrapped in Esbjerg, Denmark

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Baddorf, Zack (7 June 2005). "Experimental Sea Slice". Department of Defense. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
  2. ^ Zack Baddorf (30 November 2005). "Navy.mil - View Image". U.S. Navy.
  3. ^ "Sea SLICE". GlobalSecurity. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  4. ^ "You Can Buy This Crazy Experimental Littoral Combat Ship For $180,000!". Jalopnik. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Sea Slice to go to work as wind farm support vessel". MarineLog. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Equasis: Ship Search". French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Eksperimentelt krigsskib med tidligere Baywatch-rolle bliver nu skrottet i Esbjerg". www.jv.dk (in Danish). 5 April 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.

External links edit