World Stealth Ships

The United States And United Kingdom, contrary to popular opinion, are not the only countries looking for and capable of producing stealth ships. Several Countries from around the world have not only put designs on the table for stealth ships, but have also received delivery of several.

In 1996 Oman took delivery of two 83 meter Qahar Class Corvettes with radar absorbent material and angled sides to reduce the return signal to hostile radar.

The French LaFayette Class Frigates are the world's first operational warships designed for stealth from keel to mast. They have also sold ships to the Royal Saudi Navy, the Republic of China Navy, and the Republic of Singapore Navy.

The South African Navy is developing and has produced several ships from the MEKO A Class Corvettes & Frigates which boast that right angle corners are avoided and the decks and superstructure have been decluttered.

And the Swedish Navy has the Visby Class Corvette which is designed to minimize optical and infrared signatures, above water acoustic and hydroacoustic signatures, magnetic signature, pressure signature, radar cross section and actively emitted signals.

Are there any that I missed?

Well Finnish Hamina class is concidered to be quite steathy, it has mainly composite covered aluminium hull and right angles.
Hamina Class





[edit on 10-5-2007 by northwolf]

Originally posted by northwolf
Well Finnish Hamina class is concidered to be quite steathy, it has mainly composite covered aluminium hull and right angles.

Thanks, I hadn't heard about that one.

Many in fact, though with varying levels of "stealth".

Iranian "Pekaap" stealth torpedo boat:

And Iranian "Tir" torpedo boat:



Chinese "Type 022" stealth missile boat: www.defenseindustrydaily.com...

Nansen class frigate, Norway: www.militarypictures.info...

Skjold stealth missile boat, Norway, www.strangemilitary.com...

Swedish "Smyge" test vessel (surface effect ship) www.islandengineering.com...

Dutch air defence "Frigate" De Zeven Provincien www.defenseindustrydaily.com...

Other countries with "stealth" warships include, off the top of my head, France, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Denmark and South Africa. Although "stealth" is far from invisible, as the Israeli navy will tell you...

Even Mexico has some OPVs with decidely radar cross section reducing features

en.wikipedia.org...

Contrary to belief I think there are more than one Sea Shadow and in very active operations around the world. The thing is invisible especially at night. Add reactive camo and Bam! but its a excellent Special force delivery tool at the least. Add missles and embedded guns or ??? and I dare you to find a better stealth ship. Im amazed at how advanced it is and could be.


The Navys DD21's were another awesome design but I dont believe they are going into production as of yet but soon. And semi submesible too boot.
www.naval-technology.com...


Cool thread.







]

[edit on 11-5-2007 by VType]

Contrary to popular belief only one navy is producing a large multipurpose (true) stealth ship. With a displacement near 14T and more firepower than any other "stealth" ship the Zummalt Class is one impressive beast...

Edit: I guess the Type 45 can be considered "stealthy", eh...

[edit on 11-5-2007 by WestPoint23]

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Contrary to popular belief only one navy is producing a large multipurpose (true) stealth ship. With a displacement near 14T and more firepower than any other "stealth" ship the Zummalt Class is one impressive beast...

Lawmakers and others have questioned whether the Zumwalt class costs too much and whether it provides the capabilities the U.S. military needs. Navy leaders have responded to the criticism by reducing the planned class from 32 ships to seven, and introducing incremental funding to pay for them. Congress has allotted enough money for just two ships so far, describing them as "technology demonstrators," and has expressed mixed feelings about incremental funding for ships. I don't know about you, but it sounds to me that this may never actually go into true production. On top of that, there is a lot of concern over the Tumblehome hull design. I'm not really sure what I think about that, I'd have to see how they plan to compensate for the loss of stability.

not yet being mass produced but cool nonetheless. so without further ado, let me present the Lockheed-Martin CHARC proposal

The CHARC is designed to provide a lethal response for some of the emerging littoral threats facing large Navy vessels including suicide speedboats packed with explosives, small high-speed boat "swarm attacks" and diesel-electric submarines. With similar offensive capabilities to that of an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crammed onto a high-speed surface platform, the CHARC is small, fast and stealthy and can attack on a moment's notice using an array of Hellfire missiles, 20-millimeter guns, 40-millimeter grenade launchers and torpedoes. Like the AH-1W Super Cobra, a crew of two control the craft from a forward cockpit.

Source
Military.com Killer Fish

.. and another one that's quite interesting.

MS-80 Stiletto

... OFT is building a revolutionary vessel called Stiletto. The $6 million advanced technology craft is being built at San Diego in an unusual “M-hull” configuration: five hulls arranged across a beam that is half the ship’s length. Designers claim it will be stable up to 60 knots. The craft’s box-like structure will cover a well deck and stern ramp that can embark an 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat. The vessel will be designed with an “electronic keel,” a computer framework able to easily switch equipment and software to fit a particular mission.

Source

[edit on 11-5-2007 by toreishi]

I just wonder what's the point of stealth ships? They cannot really be stealth because their radars needs to be on. You can make stalth plane like F-22 because it can shut down it's radar after scan or recieve info from AWACS but IMO the ship cannot risk to turn off it's radar. so the missile can be simply giuded by ships radar signal like HARM and when close enougn even the stalthy hull will not help.

[edit on 12-5-2007 by longbow]

Lighter ships/boats are mainly used in raids or ambushes in littoral warfare, in that context a stealth boat is very useful. I agree that a steath ship isn't probably an best answer to a blue water operations.

For example Finnish navy plans to operate against superior enemy in a tigh archipelago, so a stealth missile boat that gets a feed from shore based opservers, sonars and radars will be very deadly.

Danish stealth "frigate"/LCS


Italian 'stealth' Frigate (read Destroyer)


Spanish 'stealth' frigate (read destroyer):


US stealth special forces boat, possibly submersible:


US experimental stealth speed boat (special forces etc) (BIG PICTURE!)
img147.imageshack.us...

[edit on 12-5-2007 by planeman]

Actually, stealth designs have been under way for quite some time. Infact the RN actually began outfitting its navy with "stealthier" ships back in 1989 with the type 23 frigates. These frigates learned from lessons in the falklands and incorporated a reduced RCS and Diesel-electric/gas engines for quieter propulsion.
en.wikipedia.org...
Just a little "stealth" fact...

Originally posted by longbow
I just wonder what's the point of stealth ships? They cannot really be stealth because their radars needs to be on. You can make stalth plane like F-22 because it can shut down it's radar after scan or recieve info from AWACS but IMO the ship cannot risk to turn off it's radar. so the missile can be simply giuded by ships radar signal like HARM and when close enougn even the stalthy hull will not help.

[edit on 12-5-2007 by longbow]

I suggest you read up on the AEGIS data link system. Multiple ships sharing the same radar picture. It allows something like the Burke (which is extremely stealthy) to cruise without radars operating. One of the more effective missile traps the Aegis use is to put one ahead of the others, operating under EMCON with the link operating, then he pops up and opens fire.

STEALTH ON THE WATER IS NOTHING NEW

(its also fairly cheap!)

[align=center][/align]

THEY BEEN DOIN IT EVER SINCE THEY FOUND OUT LOGS FLOAT!!!!

Cool thread

That stilleto above is one amazing looking craft.
Check this variant out its a USN joint venture craft and looks pretty large.
Wow jointly operate by Navy and Army and is quite a strange ship although Im doubting its Stealthy ness as much but Wow quite a different type of craft and quite intriquing.

navysite.de...



[edit on 1-6-2007 by VType]

It's an experimental ship, based on an auto ferry used in Australia. It hauls roughly 400 tons of cargo, and can be configured in five or six different configurations.

Originally posted by toreishi
not yet being mass produced but cool nonetheless. so without further ado, let me present the Lockheed-Martin CHARC proposal




[edit on 11-5-2007 by toreishi]

That right there looks like its gonna be the water equivalent of the Osprey lol, just an accident waiting to happen...

Originally posted by toreishi
not yet being mass produced but cool nonetheless. so without further ado, let me present the Lockheed-Martin CHARC proposal

Is it just me or isnt there anything in that picture?

Originally posted by Zeeko
Is it just me or isnt there anything in that picture?

No picture for me either, but I do have some information about this on my website here.. I hope this helps some.

Originally posted by Zeeko
Is it just me or isnt there anything in that picture?

It's stealthy, what do you expect?