UK trials PACSCAT demonstrator
QinetiQ’s PASCAT demonstrator
Following successful initial manoeuvring and propulsion trials, QinetiQ’s PACSCAT Innovative Solution Demonstrator Craft (ISDC) was recently accepted as a trials vessel by the UK Ministry of Defence.
It will now undergo a series of tough practical evaluation trials through to the end of 2010 at the Royal Marines facilities at Instow, Devon, UK.
The UK-based QinetiQ, an international provider of technology-based services and solutions to the defence, security and related markets, was awarded the contract to manage the design and build of the PACSCAT landing craft ISDC in September 2007. Working alongside Griffon Hoverwork at its base in Hythe, Southampton, the vessel has completed a series of contractor evaluation trials that included spending in excess of 100 hours at sea. The trials saw the team progressively operate the PACSCAT ISDC at unloaded speeds exceeding 30 knots in Sea State 2. An MOD crew was also trained to operate PACSCAT, and operating procedures were endorsed by Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), the Royal Navy team that provides operational sea training.
“The handover is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication to develop a new type of fast and functional landing craft,” explained Chris Ross, chief naval architect at QinetiQ. “The PACSCAT (Partial Air Cushion Supported CATamaran) ISDC is generating interest in the military and commercial sectors where customers are looking to incorporate the innovative partial air cushion concepts into their own future vessels to enable them to benefit from higher speeds, heavier payloads and manoeuvrability.”
The contractor evaluation trials demonstrated that the PACSCAT solution could operate within the required specification. The MOD will now undertake extensive trials, which QinetiQ will oversee, designed to further understand the vessel’s capabilities with vehicles embarked. The trials will test PACSCAT's ability to perform a variety of roles focused on the potential advantages of low and variable draught (for example in situations where high speed and high payload capacities are required in conjunction with exceptional beaching qualities). On completion of trials and as part of the fast landing craft concept phase, the MOD will conduct a cost and performance-based appraisal of this solution with other options determined in the MOD fast landing craft design solutions study.
The high speed, all aluminium PACSCAT ISDC vessel is 30m long, 7.7m in the beam, has a design vehicle payload of 55 tonnes and an approximate loaded weight of 175 tonnes. It is propelled by twin MJP water jets, driven by MTU high-speed diesel engines.
The fast landing craft design requirement is to off-load front line vehicles from Royal Navy amphibious ships to the beach. The ISDC is designed to test at full scale the hydrodynamics of the PACSCAT hull form and to investigate its feasibility to deliver significantly faster speeds than traditional landing craft. The vessel makes use of the PACSCAT concept originated by John Lewthwaite of Independent Maritime Assessment Associates.
QinetiQ was contracted by the MOD’s Research Acquisition Organisation to manage the procurement of the demonstrator vessel, act as the design authority and manage the all-important safety process and trials programme. QinetiQ then invited competitive bids from companies in the shipbuilding sector to bring a broad mix of experience to the project. Griffon Hoverwork, which claims world leadership in hovercraft construction, led the construction team and undertook the fit-out, setting to work and commissioning of the craft. Griffon partnered with Aluminium Shipbuilders for the hull construction; BMT Nigel Gee for detailed design; and BMT Marine Projects for project management support.
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