High speed, wave-piercing catamaran
November 29, 2007 8:32 PM Subscribe
The USNS Swift (HSV-2) looks like something a Bond villian would own,
but it's actually one of the most advanced ships owned by the US Navy. Highly manueverable and having a top speed of 51mph, it's heavily automated,
capable of handling helicopters, carrying cargo, and launching both manned and unmanned vehicles -- all with only 42 people.
It's assisted with relief efforts in Indonesia, Lebanon, and after Hurricane Katrina. But the best thing about the ship? It can be remote controlled through a web browser.
Oh, and also, controlled by a browser? What could possibly go wrong?
posted by pompomtom at 8:37 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by pompomtom at 8:37 PM on November 29, 2007
This is the kind of thinking that
posted by longsleeves at 8:51 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by longsleeves at 8:51 PM on November 29, 2007
Sweet. You can play "Minesweeper" while you're minesweeping!
posted by chinston at 8:51 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by chinston at 8:51 PM on November 29, 2007
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
posted by Dr. Curare at 9:14 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by Dr. Curare at 9:14 PM on November 29, 2007
HSV = High Speed Vessel? They couldn't have come up with a snazzier name?
posted by not_on_display at 9:17 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by not_on_display at 9:17 PM on November 29, 2007
"remote controlled through a web browser" Firefox doesn't work for me. Damn!
posted by marvin at 9:35 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by marvin at 9:35 PM on November 29, 2007
This sounds like the premise for a really terrible movie.
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:44 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:44 PM on November 29, 2007
Advanced weapons systems are so bitchin' cool!
Except of course when they are used to kill people and shit.
posted by LarryC at 9:50 PM on November 29, 2007
Except of course when they are used to kill people and shit.
posted by LarryC at 9:50 PM on November 29, 2007
Bond Villians indeed. The moment I saw the first picture of this vessel, "To Hell with Blofeld" from the climactic oil rig battle in Diamonds are Forever began playing in my head.
posted by CynicalKnight at 10:13 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by CynicalKnight at 10:13 PM on November 29, 2007
Here's what it would look like if the Navy painted whiskers on it.
posted by Staggering Jack at 10:23 PM on November 29, 2007
posted by Staggering Jack at 10:23 PM on November 29, 2007
You in the US have by far the largest military force ever assembled in history. You spend more money on weapons than everyone else put together: you've literally got enough weapons to destroy the planet many times over.
Yet it'll never be enough for you -- you'll always need more. No quantity of weapons however great can ever be enough to make a bully forget he's a coward underneath it all.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 10:30 PM on November 29, 2007
Yet it'll never be enough for you -- you'll always need more. No quantity of weapons however great can ever be enough to make a bully forget he's a coward underneath it all.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 10:30 PM on November 29, 2007
... one of the most advanced ships owned by the US Navy.
I thought Incat were leasing them out, not selling them?
... reads article ...
Yup, leased. Pics of more variations here.
posted by Pinback at 10:48 PM on November 29, 2007
I thought Incat were leasing them out, not selling them?
... reads article ...
Yup, leased. Pics of more variations here.
posted by Pinback at 10:48 PM on November 29, 2007
lupus: overgeneralize much?
2/3rds of my country are the mushy middle who aren't particularly in touch with facts, reality, history, etc.
Around 1/3, divided 2 or 3 ways, are bona-fide extremists who are pushing & pulling the policy debate.
The size of the US military is largely predicated by the missions it has been assigned, plus the associated historical momenta left over from the Cold War service communities.
Granted, I still think the Pentagon could and should downsize by 50% over the next 10-20 years, but as it stands now this particular warship is something of a positive development for you . . . a trial at rejecting the gigantism, NIH-syndrome, and overkill of present-day warfighting systems like the carrier battle group, ballistic missile submarine, and B-2 bombers.
We may bully the world, but we're bullying it toward the status-quo, eg. providing over-the-horizon support for South Korea and Taiwan's independence, and line-of-communications security for the sweet sweet crude we need to import from our friends in the Persian Gulf.
posted by panamax at 11:57 PM on November 29, 2007
2/3rds of my country are the mushy middle who aren't particularly in touch with facts, reality, history, etc.
Around 1/3, divided 2 or 3 ways, are bona-fide extremists who are pushing & pulling the policy debate.
The size of the US military is largely predicated by the missions it has been assigned, plus the associated historical momenta left over from the Cold War service communities.
Granted, I still think the Pentagon could and should downsize by 50% over the next 10-20 years, but as it stands now this particular warship is something of a positive development for you . . . a trial at rejecting the gigantism, NIH-syndrome, and overkill of present-day warfighting systems like the carrier battle group, ballistic missile submarine, and B-2 bombers.
We may bully the world, but we're bullying it toward the status-quo, eg. providing over-the-horizon support for South Korea and Taiwan's independence, and line-of-communications security for the sweet sweet crude we need to import from our friends in the Persian Gulf.
posted by panamax at 11:57 PM on November 29, 2007
Cool post, can't believe its been around this long and I didn't run across it already...
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:36 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:36 AM on November 30, 2007
We may bully the world, but we're bullying it toward the status-quo
And that's a good thing is it? Huge amounts of the global population get to live in poverty without adequate food, water, shelter, energy or basic freedoms while the US and its clients get to keep it what way and cream off the wealth that they slave to create? Worth fighting for!
posted by biffa at 3:12 AM on November 30, 2007
And that's a good thing is it? Huge amounts of the global population get to live in poverty without adequate food, water, shelter, energy or basic freedoms while the US and its clients get to keep it what way and cream off the wealth that they slave to create? Worth fighting for!
posted by biffa at 3:12 AM on November 30, 2007
First off, this was in port the other day, so I checked it out. Pretty impressive. I might be putting in to be stationed on it.
Second off, what the hey? This is a Command and Control ship, not a weapons platform. Replacing ships like the USS Blueridge as a very fast hub. Also, the shift from a big bulky force to small dynamic force of little independent ships is a good thing. The Navy knows it doesn't need more firepower; it needs range and versatility.
Finally, you know a lot the humanitarian missions of the US Navy? Things like freedom of the seas (which I found out even the Canadians smudge a bit), combating piracy, refugee pickup and drop off, and even stopping slavery fairly often. I'm not saying we're all puppy dogs and roses (we do blow a lot of things - and people - up), but the US Navy does participate in some unequivacably good things.
Okee, I'm done. Look at the cool stuff. Thanks for the taxes.
posted by Lord Chancellor at 4:09 AM on November 30, 2007
Second off, what the hey? This is a Command and Control ship, not a weapons platform. Replacing ships like the USS Blueridge as a very fast hub. Also, the shift from a big bulky force to small dynamic force of little independent ships is a good thing. The Navy knows it doesn't need more firepower; it needs range and versatility.
Finally, you know a lot the humanitarian missions of the US Navy? Things like freedom of the seas (which I found out even the Canadians smudge a bit), combating piracy, refugee pickup and drop off, and even stopping slavery fairly often. I'm not saying we're all puppy dogs and roses (we do blow a lot of things - and people - up), but the US Navy does participate in some unequivacably good things.
Okee, I'm done. Look at the cool stuff. Thanks for the taxes.
posted by Lord Chancellor at 4:09 AM on November 30, 2007
lupus: overgeneralize much?
I just think it's cool that he felt so comfortable using this thread as a platform for condemning the American soul. You go, lupus yonderboy!
posted by lodurr at 4:38 AM on November 30, 2007
I just think it's cool that he felt so comfortable using this thread as a platform for condemning the American soul. You go, lupus yonderboy!
posted by lodurr at 4:38 AM on November 30, 2007
I've ridden the Cat ferry between ME and NS. You must too. It is awesome. The fastest slots on the east coast!
posted by Gungho at 6:13 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by Gungho at 6:13 AM on November 30, 2007
The real problem here is that the ship is not fully autonomous. I demand a future where robot warships thunder across the oceans seeking sweet cruise-liner flesh.
posted by aramaic at 6:24 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by aramaic at 6:24 AM on November 30, 2007
I want to wakeboard behind it.
posted by LordSludge at 6:42 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by LordSludge at 6:42 AM on November 30, 2007
Remember about ten years ago, the US Navy had an advanced test warship that was running all its critical systems on Windows NT?
And how NT crashed, and the ship had to be towed into dock?
Yeah.
posted by adamrice at 8:28 AM on November 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
And how NT crashed, and the ship had to be towed into dock?
Yeah.
posted by adamrice at 8:28 AM on November 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
You in the US have by far the largest military force ever assembled in history.
lupus . . . you live here too.
What's with this "you people" shit?
posted by jason's_planet at 12:28 PM on November 30, 2007
lupus . . . you live here too.
What's with this "you people" shit?
posted by jason's_planet at 12:28 PM on November 30, 2007
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I'm actually designing something like this so I'll shut up now :(
posted by panamax at 8:35 PM on November 29, 2007