The Ghost - the future high-speed attack boat of the US special forces

The US Navy SEALs of the future may possess high-speed attack boats that operate smoothly even in rough sea conditions.

The Ghost Train on a test run. Photo: Bloomberg

According to Defense One, this high-speed attack boat with the impressive name GHOST (Ghost) has a unique design with a very special operating system. Juliet Marine Systems Company in New Hampshire, USA, is offering the boat to the navy.

The Ghost glides across the water thanks to two torpedo-shaped engines, giving the SEALs the smooth feel of an airplane rather than a ship. It promises to provide a stable platform for the Navy to install futuristic weapons systems, such as lasers, which only work well in calm waters.

The Phantom could be used to patrol the Strait of Hormuz, south of Iran, alongside larger, more expensive warships, but before that happens, Juliet Marine Systems needs to focus on improving the ship's speed.

Special operating mechanism

The Ghost's creation marked a breakthrough in naval ship design. No ship with a similar shape or operating mechanism had ever appeared before. The hull looked like a diamond mounted on two torpedo-like engines, which the manufacturer called "tube wings".

The components work together to pull the launch boat across the water, rather than having it propelled from behind by propellers. This makes it harder for radar to detect, hence the name Ghost.

The ship operates on the physical principle of supercavitation, which has been a factor in torpedo design since World War II. Supercavitation refers to the creation of air bubbles in the water. These bubbles reduce friction when the torpedo is launched underwater.

“We have a system that draws air down through the hull, through two struts to the fins and out behind the propellers. The air that escapes into the water creates a layer of air between the hull and the water,” says Thomas Richards, a former US Navy admiral who is now vice president and general manager of Juliet Marine Systems. “That layer of air reduces the drag significantly as the hull hits the water.” In short, the Ghost creates air bubbles and rides on them instead of the water.

The hull has a diamond-shaped structure mounted on two torpedo-like engines. Photo: CNN.

The concept of hypersonic gliders made a splash in 2014 when China announced it was developing a hypersonic submarine that could travel at 9,800 km/h by leveraging this physical phenomenon. If it materializes, it would take just 100 minutes to travel from Shanghai to San Francisco.

Western military technology observers said they were amused by Beijing's announcement at the time. "Whatever China says, 'someday' in submarine development is not an imminent day," Time magazine commentator Jeffrey Kluger commented.

The supercavity can help the torpedo launch at a speed of 370 km/h or even up to 426 km/h. This is the record speed of the Russian Shkval supercavity torpedo. However, the above speed is only maintained for the first few kilometers when the torpedo is just fired.

Despite its high stealth capabilities, its speed is lThe Phantom's disadvantage. This sleek-looking assault ship cannot outrun the current US Navy speedboats.

According to Richards, the Ghost can travel at 34 mph, and that's only using 50 percent of the boat's horsepower. Juliet Marine Systems hopes to increase the speed to at least 46 mph, or even 53 mph, for mission-critical purposes. The company is also working on new engines and propeller designs.

The second drawback of the Phantom is its cost. At $10 million each, according to Richards, the Phantom is much more expensive than the $3.7 million Mark V SOC patrol boat currently used by the US Navy Special Operations Command. The Phantom is also more expensive than the RIBs that the US Navy uses to transport SEALs into dangerous areas.

According to VNE