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ASNE SNAME High Speed High Performance Ships & Craft Event

January 23-24, 2007

Sheraton Barcelo Hotel Annapolis, MD

“Applying New Technology to Improve High Speed High Performance Ship and Craft Operations on the High Seas and in the Littorals”

The U.S. Navy is pursuing an aggressive advancement in high speed/high performance ships and craft to enable it to maneuver rapidly from the sea and operate in the littorals.  The high-speed catamaran HSV 2 Swift was delivered to the U.S. Navy on August 15, 2003, for example, and is currently serving operationally as an interim Mine Warfare Command and Support Ship (MCS) and Navy/Marine Corps experimentation vessel.  Swift will be used to develop concepts, capabilities and reconfigurable mission modules for multiple mission areas in support of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program development.  Lockheed Martin laid the keel for Freedom (LCS 1) in June 2005, and General Dynamics laid the keel for their trimaran LCS in January 2006.  Also in January 2006, the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) was established.  Among its objectives, NECC will “Recognize the need to expand current capabilities and develop new capabilities to fill gaps in our long term GWOT (Global War on Terrorism) mission set.”  USMC is preparing to transfer its Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC) to the newly formed NECC RIVGRU ONE.  Naval Special Warfare is in the game as well with its own Riverine SURC, and is examining options for replacing the venerable MK V SOC.  Not to be left out, the USCG is rebuilding its own fleet of small cutters through the Deepwater program.  America is not alone in seeking solutions as Sweden’s Visby and Russian and Chinese fast littoral craft compete for world markets.

This symposium aims to stimulate a robust professional exchange of ideas from government and industry alike.  It is open to all Services and coalition partners.