Ungainly military boat center of attention
An ungainly — some would say outright ugly — boat is drawing a lot of attention; the name of the boat is Stiletto and it is described as the largest all-carbon power boat in the world; its immediate mission is to support drug enforcement operations in Central and South America, but its long-term — and more significant — contribution is to help the military develop future technologies
The Stiletto during trials // Source: thebestplacesinsandiego.com
It is not pretty, but a U.S. military boat on display in the Potomac River just outside Washington, D.C. is drawing a lot of attention because of its looks and mission. Stiletto is the boat’s name and is described as the largest all-carbon power boat in the world. Its four Caterpillar engines gives the craft enough pep to speed through rough seas at speeds up to 35 knots.
While the 78 ton boat has been deployed on several missions supporting drug enforcement operations in Central and South America, its more significant contribution is to help the military develop future technologies.
Fox News’s Lee Ross reports that over the past four years the Pentagon has essentially used Stiletto as a test laboratory. Private companies including major military contractors like Lockheed Martin work with military officials to install their latest inventions on the boat. Then under the direction of the Department of Defense the new technology is integrated with existing systems and Stiletto is taken out to sea for exercises.
A publicity sheet associated with the program describes the purpose of Stiletto’s technical mission as “broaden[ing] maritime options and capabilities through testing and evaluation of emerging technologies that will aid the warfighter.”
Ross notes that Stiletto allows military officers to review the performance of the new machinery and suggest improvements or design changes. The obvious benefit of the program to contractors is that it allows them to show off their inventions with an eye towards deployment throughout the military. An official familiar with the program says it takes about two months to get everything scheduled and because the program is funded directly through the Defense Secretary’s office, Stiletto bypasses a lot of red tape normally associated with developing military programs.
The boat was a big draw for people attending a convention sponsored by the Navy League, a non-profit civilian organization. It is not immediately clear if any of the convention-goers were drawn to Stiletto because of its odd look, potential for future business, or just as an opportunity to escape the land-based convention hall and spend a few minutes on the water.
