T-Craft US Navy heavy amphibious

[kach22i]

Does anyone have any art, illustrations, models or other graphic representations of the T-Craft they can post?

Sea Base Connector Transformable-Craft (T-CRAFT)
Sea Base Connector Test Craft (T-CRAFT)
Beachable High Speed Sea Base Connector
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/t-craft.htm

There is a need for high speed marine vehicles that are beachable to allow discharge of troops and cargo. One of the primary military purposes of beachable marine vehicles is to transport cargo such as vehicles and troops from ships at sea to beachheads. These beachable marine vehicles also have commercial application where they may transport cargo to unimproved beach areas.

The anticipated goal of a future T-Craft program would be to contract for the design, production and demonstration testing of a large-scale prototype. In August 2005 the Office of Naval Research solicited proposals through Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) 05-020 for a prototype demonstrator of a Transformable-Craft (T-CRAFT) which can deploy in an unloaded condition (range of 2,500 nm) from the intermediate support base to the Seabase and then be used as a Sea Base connector, transporting wheeled and tracked vehicles through the surf zone and onto the beach.

ONR desires to have the craft run at high speeds in as shallow water as realistically possible. ONR understands that depending upon hullform and propulsion system chosen, this minimum water depth will vary concept to concept. ONR envisions this minimum water depth to be somewhere between 6 and 14 feet.............................................. ...........

As this is an Innovative Prototype to prove a game changing concept vice an acquisition program, no absolute requirements were given for deck loading beyond the payload requirements provided in the BAA. However, it would be expected that the vehicle pressure load limits would be similar to the current LCAC which is no greater than 80 psi. The M1A2 can be assumed to be the heaviest vehicle to be transported for the purposes of demonstrating this prototype.

Alion Awarded $1.7M Phase I Office of Naval Research Contract.
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-procurement/4054409-1.html

An Alion-led team will develop a prototype demonstrator for the Sea Base Connector Transformable - Craft (T-Craft).

Alion Science and Technology
http://www.alionscience.com/index.cfm

http://www.alionscience.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=mediaroom.viewnews&newsid=89

The craft is envisioned to have three modes of operation: fuel-efficient or sea keeping mode, high-speed or shallow water mode and an amphibious mode to travel over sand bars and mud flats.
Engineers from Alion’s JJMA Maritime & Industrial Engineering Group will work on developing the technologies required to perform the T-Craft mission.

Alion Awarded $1.7M Phase I Office of Naval Research Contract
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Alion+Awarded+$1.7M+Phase+I+Office+of+Naval+Research+Contract-a0159541845

Engineers from Alion's JJMA JJMA - John J. McMullen Associates Maritime & Industrial Engineering Group will work on developing the technologies required to perform the T-Craft mission. Alion engineers will design a T-Craft ship platform on which these technologies will be integrated on to demonstrate the three part mission.

Other members of the Alion team include Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, which is performing C3I design, and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, who will ultimately build the craft.

NOTE: The "Sea Fighter" is also known as the X-Craft, I'm looking for the T-Craft.

Found something...................................

Navatek gets Navy design contract
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Feb/20/bz/FP702200319.html

Honolulu naval architect Navatek Ltd. has received a $2 million contract to design a Navy prototype ship that can deliver tanks and other heavy equipment onto a beachhead.

Navatek's proposal for the so-called T-Craft project uses an amphibious transporter that can be launched from a specially designed ship. The transporter could then carry troops and equipment from ship to shore. Navatek hopes the contract will eventually be worth $160 million, if all options are exercised......................................Nav atek was founded in 1979 and operates out of offices in Honolulu with 45 employees. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific Marine, founded in 1944, which has 350 employees and annual revenues of $73 million.

Tanks unload from an amphibious transporter in one artist's rendering provided by Navatek. In this preliminary design, the transporter launches from a craft visible in the background.

Interesting website below - end of the road? I have to leave off here, I have to get some real work done today.

Navatek
http://www.navatekltd.com/index.html


EDIT:
A few more Navatek designs:
http://www.ceros.org/partnersandprojects/graphicheader2.htm


http://www.navatekltd.com/hdv.html


http://starbulletin.com/2004/06/30/business/story2.html

[kach22i]

If you read the proposal for the contract, they took "Stealth" out of the requirements. They knew all along they would be going splash with a roostertail all the way. That kind of thing shows up great on surface to surface radar.

To be honest, I would run like hell from something like that coming at me.

It would have to float, at least when empty. Cargo can go over the side in an emergency, right?

http://www.snowridermag.com/2005/grantsburg.html




I'm told that the snowmobile watercross:

When a machine goes down, the pilot pulls a rip cord and there is flotation that rises to the top of the water. The rider has to stay with that flotation until the race is over. (They only run 4 or 5 very short laps per heat. ) and then a rescue pontoon or 2 come and winch them up and take them to shore. They quickly change plugs and oil and can run again in a matter of minutes!

[kach22i]

UPDATE Jan 17, 2008

Article:
16 January 2008
http://www.janes.com/news/defence/naval/id...80116_1_n.shtml

Below is one of the winning designs, I don't know what the other one looks like (yet), but with your help maybe we can figure it out.

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.ph...0085#post180085

Originally Posted by BMcF

Here's an option..has a 45-knot open-sea capapability in catamaran mode and deployable/retractable skirt system for amphib mode. Bit pricey..only for the most descriminating yacht owner with very, very deep pockets. We are on the design team for this thing...pic shows it in amphib mode and I'm not sure I can show it with skirt system stowed...without permission from the project office.

An article from Global Security:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...hip/t-craft.htm

UPI article:
http://www.upi.com/International_Security/...raft_ship/7711/

From Alion's website:
http://www.alionscience.com/index.cfm?fuse...&newsid=131

Powerpoint with other designs and specs/metrics
http://www.onrglobal.navy.mil/public/about..._INP_Cooper.ppt

MCLEAN, Va., Jan 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE)
http://www.individual.com/story.php?story=76089808

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has selected Alion Science and Technology to proceed with Phase II, the detailed design phase, of the Sea Base Connector Transformable-Craft (T-Craft) program. The contract, worth between $6 and $10 million over a period of 12 to 24 months, was awarded on Nov. 30 and makes Alion eligible for the critical Phase III award--construction of the ship--on a $156M contract.

Under the Phase II contract, Alion will build full-scale models of new technologies and demonstrate that they work. These technologies include a ship skirt and seal design, an innovative propulsion power distribution system and vehicle transfer technologies. The second phase also requires Alion to finalize a design suitable for construction of a full-scale ship.

[kach22i]

Click link to see image
Click link to see image

Seapower magazine September 2006

http://www.seapower-digital.com/seapower/200709/?pg=40


Click the link above to see the image.

BYM Marine & Maritime News
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
http://bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=21156

The T-Craft ship is expected to be demonstrated in 2013 and will be approximately 280 feet long by 80 feet wide and weigh about 2,000 tons. It will travel over 40 knots and carry a minimum of six M-182 tanks.l

Alion engineers will perform the work from its Alexandria, Va. office, with support from its Pittsburgh office.

Umoe Mandal, a Norweigian-based company, also won an ONR award for the second phase of T-Craft.

.................................................. .....................

Transformable Craft (T-Craft)
Sea Basing Connector - Engineering Design Support
Umoe-Mandal USA - ONR BAA # 05-020
http://marinedd.com/index_files/page0012.htm
Period of Performance: January to September 2007

The Amphibious SES T-Craft is based on a derivative of Umoe-Mandal Skjold Class Missile Fast Patrol Boats, design and built for the Norway Royal Navy.

[john70t]

Some of those are wickedly creative designs, thanks for the links, George.

Seriously, the freakin talent headhunters must be blind to have not found you by now; drawing the same old boxes. Mabye an experimental-design startup on the side?

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by john70t

Some of those are wickedly creative designs, thanks for the links, George.

Seriously, the freakin talent headhunters must be blind to have not found you by now; drawing the same old boxes. Mabye an experimental-design startup on the side?

Thanks but those designs and illustrations are not mine, my stuff is on my workbench and drafting table - my own Skunk Works. Until I can afford many Patents and prove some of my ideas to myself first, my real work is private. What I post is the tip of the iceberg and just a tease.

Page 9 of the powerpoint which I gave a link to. I printed it, then scanned it - I'm not very savy in the way of the computer sometimes.

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/

[kach22i]

I don't read Russian, if you can then tell me what it says please.

http://www.hrvatski-vojnik.hr/hrvatski-vojnik/1562007/desantni.asp

[cairns]

Cool stuff but....sometimes I think we keep fighting the last generations wars. I don't see a need for a major D-Day type sea to land invasion capability but that's just me.

Littoral craft are another matter- I think we could use a great deal more of those.

[kach22i]

Have you looked into the "Seabasing" concept?

Floating depot for equipment so we need not deal with host countries anymore. Excuse us while we invade your neighbor.

Just crazy, but perhaps one less USS Cole incident that way.

[RWebb]

"I don't see a need for a major D-Day type sea to land invasion capability but that's just me."

N. Korea, Iran... SE Asia, China, keep going.... The idea is to anticipate potential threats decades out.

[kach22i]

Article in Macromedia (shows test model photo)
http://publishing.yudu.com/Ab1hd/WTJan08/r...FlashCheck=true

The image in this pdf looks like a full scale mock-up or some clever photoshop of the model made to look full sized. Construction according to the article is not to start until the middle of 2010.

Opinions, comments?
http://www.onr.navy.mil/conferences/scienc...ble%20Craft.pdf

Looks like they got a head start on the real thing. <_<

July 15, 2008
ONR Looking To Demo At-Sea Cargo Transfer Using T-Craft Scale Model
http://www.defensedaily.com/sectors/navy_usmc/3294.html

By Geoff Fein Later this summer, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is planning on conducting a demonstration of a cargo transfer operation between multiple vessels, using a government designed scale model of the T-Craft (Transformable-Craft), a proposed sea...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 20, 2008
General Atomics Designing Hybrid Drive for High Speed Vessel
http://www.ga.com/news.php?read=1&id=155&page=1

Umoe Mandal was one of four competitors during the Phase I ONR effort for the T-Craft conceptual design. GA’s Electromagnetic Systems (EMS) division assisted Umoe during Phase I of the effort to develop alternative propulsion schemes based on hybrid electric drive that could replace the traditional mechanical shaft drive designs. EMS developed several unique designs that provided significant advantages over the mechanical design and eliminated complex gearboxes and difficult, space-consuming shaft alignments. The hybrid electric drive can allow more cargo-carrying space, better ship layouts and easier cargo transfer. .......................

Jim Zgliczynski, EMS Director of Motors, Generators and Navy Integrated Power Systems says, “ONR specifically mentioned the innovative GA hybrid electric drive design as one of the reasons that Umoe was given a high technical evaluation in the selection as one of three competitors to develop the T-Craft in Phase II.” During Phase II, GA EMS will complete the preliminary design of the hybrid electric propulsion drive.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contr...contractid=3767

Alion Science & Technology Corp., Chicago, Ill., is being awarded a $10,180,211 cost plus-fixed-fee completion task order #0003 under previously awarded contract (N00014-07-D-0200) to develop detailed designs of the transformable craft (T-Craft). The goal of the program is to design and build a prototype demonstrator of a T-Craft which can deploy in an unloaded condition (range of 2,500 nm) from the intermediate support base to the sea base and then be used as a sea base connector, transporting wheeled and tracked vehicles through the surf zone and on the beach. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Va., and work is expected to be completed Apr. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under Office of Naval Research Broad Agency Announcement 05-020. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

[Arizona_928]

We are getting ready for the commies in Russia.

[kach22i]

I guess so.
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/attachments/open-discussion/27454d1228693542-random-picture-thread-uss_abraham_lincoln_uss_kitty_hawk_uss_ronald_reag an_break_away_.jpg

[kach22i]

UPDATE: 02/20/2010

PDF
http://www.foils.org/01_Mtg_Pres%20dnloads/090430%20Meeting/SD-5%20Panel%20T-Craft%20Brief%2030Apr09%20FinalA.pdf

Interesting images on pages 10, 11 and 44.

[svandamme]

frankly, they hadn't anticipated D-day kinda landings in 1935 either...
but they managed just fine anyway... they designed so much custom gear in that timeframe, technology jumped forward in massive leaps....

if there ever were to be another WW, of the same global, all consuming nature... rest asured, landing craft will be the least thing they come up with...
that is, if they don't get the whole earth sucked into some kind of man made black hole... that was supposed to just suck in the enemy, but kinda got out of hands...

[kach22i]

UPDATE: 08/12/2010 ................ Tcraft

It's A Hovercraft! It's A Catamaran! But Wait...
Posted by Bill Sweetman at 5/4/2010 5:48 PM CDT

It's A Hovercraft! It's A Catamaran! But Wait...

[M.D. Holloway]

Thats some cool shyt!

Build it and they will fight!!!

[kach22i]

An update from someone who worked on one phase of the project:

T-Craft - Page 3 - Boat Design Forums

Originally Posted by BMcF

Ahh yes...it was an interesting four years of design and model testing. Alas..it's all over. The Navy has completely pulled the plug on the effort and there will not be..for now anyway..a T-Craft built. All three teams have been debriefed and the project is closed.

The Umoe hull design was 100% composite and a section of that hull, in full scale and very similar in size to the aluminum example shown in last pic, is being completed by VT-Halter in Mississippi. For naught, at least as far as T-Craft is concerned, but perhaps a useful (in future) transfer of large-scale composite hull technology from overseas to a US shipyard?

[nostatic]

Gates is taking about downsizing/reorienting the Marines. Don't think these are gonna fly (so to speak).

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Gates is taking about downsizing/reorienting the Marines. Don't think these are gonna fly (so to speak).

It was part of the "SeaBasing" concept, and that whole idea is being looked at again, just too expensive.

The plug has been pulled on the Tcraft.

End of story.........for now.