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High-speed military amphibian skims the waves using Surface Effect | Textron is developing a remarkable new Surface Effect amphibious transport for the US Navy and Marines. It can carry 50 tons of cargo, skims the waves at 50+ knots, and operates in water just four feet deep.
Textron is developing a remarkable new Surface Effect amphibious transport for the US Navy and Marines. It can carry 50 tonnes of cargo, skims the waves at 50+ knots (57+ mph, 92+ km/h), and operates in water just four feet (1.2 m) deep.
The SECAT may be a ship, but it works on a similar principle as heavy-payload Ground Effect aircraft, which fly low, gaining extra lift and efficiency by trapping a cushion of air between their wings and the water surface. Using Surface Effect Ship (SES) technology, SECAT has flexible bow and stern seals that can be configured to trap air between the two side hulls. We're talking an extraordinary 4 feet (1.2 metres) of draft – it barely needs any water at all for a vessel this size – so it can land cargo on undeveloped shores without the need of piers, cranes, or other uploading equipment.
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