Causing a bit of a stir locally...

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
This unusual-looking USN testcraft is currently lying still in the Potomac River, directly offshore from Ruddy Duck on St. George's Island.

It's funny to watch traffic stop and people stare at it trying to figure out what the heck she is.

Stilleto.jpg
 

DEEKAYPEE8569

Well-Known Member
This unusual-looking USN testcraft is currently lying still in the Potomac River, directly offshore from Ruddy Duck on St. George's Island.

It's funny to watch traffic stop and people stare at it trying to figure out what the heck she is.

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Ominous looking thing.....wonder what it looks like next to a small outboard fishing boat. Can you imaging this thing bearing down on you? :yikes:
 

MR47930

Member
I went on a tour of it at the Sea-Air-Space expo a few years back in the National Harbor! Its really cool looking inside.
 

edinsomd

New Member
That thing is begging for a cool paint job, a-la a Curtiss P-40 Flying Tiger!
 

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Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Skjold off island.JPG I was lead on the team that developed a bigger version...that is in service now. And oddly enough..I have a pic of one of those that was also taken just off of St. George's Island.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
When the 154' Norwegian "Skjold" missile craft continued north up the Potomac River after our little rendezvous for a a photo op (pic in earlier post), they were operating at normal cruise speed of 55 knots when they "blew through" the Dahlgren Range before the picket boats could even try to make contact to warn them away. Range was "hot" that day. We were listening to the VHF chatter and it was a hoot...some rather excited range boat captains on the airwaves. This was not long after 9/11 either...so that added to the concern.

The Skjold-class boats can hit 65 knots.
 

MADPEBS1

Man, I'm still here !!!
When the 154' Norwegian "Skjold" missile craft continued north up the Potomac River after our little rendezvous for a a photo op (pic in earlier post), they were operating at normal cruise speed of 55 knots when they "blew through" the Dahlgren Range before the picket boats could even try to make contact to warn them away. Range was "hot" that day. We were listening to the VHF chatter and it was a hoot...some rather excited range boat captains on the airwaves. This was not long after 9/11 either...so that added to the concern.

The Skjold-class boats can hit 65 knots.

Seriously, what if a 16" came sailing in, thats what HOT normally means up there, some kind of ordy flying around, right??????
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Seriously, what if a 16" came sailing in, thats what HOT normally means up there, some kind of ordy flying around, right??????

It was pretty obvious from the range boat VHF radio traffic that the sudden appearance of the angular, faceted and camo high-speed warship in the middle of the test range was cause for some real consternation. :whistle:

Been a good while since they test 16" stuff though....
 

glhs837

Power with Control
It was pretty obvious from the range boat VHF radio traffic that the sudden appearance of the angular, faceted and camo high-speed warship in the middle of the test range was cause for some real consternation. :whistle:

Been a good while since they test 16" stuff though....

Gets me wondering, how the hell do you test railguns in any sort of local range? I think like glide weapons, you have go somewhere with a helluva lot more room.
 

MADPEBS1

Man, I'm still here !!!
It was pretty obvious from the range boat VHF radio traffic that the sudden appearance of the angular, faceted and camo high-speed warship in the middle of the test range was cause for some real consternation. :whistle:

Been a good while since they test 16" stuff though....

yes i understand that, just an example of what they could shoot ;-)
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Gets me wondering, how the hell do you test railguns in any sort of local range? I think like glide weapons, you have go somewhere with a helluva lot more room.

I know some of the early developmental rail gun testing was done at Dahlgren. No idea whether the projectiles were sent down range or just captured. But that said, the range of Dahlgren's range (?) isn't trivial; they can secure the river all the way down to about St. Clements Island if they decide they need to.
 
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