Fast Missile Trimaran 63m Northseaboats

 GENERAL DISCRIPTION

The Fast Missile Patrol Vessel (FMPV) employs a modern “Wave Piercing” trimaran design. This allows the vessel to cut-through waves rather than rise up and over them, and the increased beam provides inherent stability. This combination of features reduces both pitching and rolling, creating a stable weapons platform, and enabling the vessel to comfortably and safely maintain higher average speeds in adverse conditions.

The FMPV has “Stealth” design characteristics, and incorporate features that minimise detection by reducing Radar, Infra-Red, Acoustic and Magnetic signatures. Stealth properties are further improved as there are no reverse-angle bow overhangs to reflect radar signals, as seen on conventional hull forms. Weaponry, including missiles and naval guns, and the ships 11 m high-speed RHIB, are discreetly concealed or shaped to meld into the superstructure profile.

The wide decks on the 63m OPV Trimaran also make it an ideal platform for carrying a helicopter, which extends the effective patrol range and capabilities of the vessel.

 CONSTRUCTION

Construction is from strong and highly durable, lightweight composite carbon fibre sandwich, utilising vinylester modified epoxy resin and the vacuum resin infusion process. Thus ensuring improved fuel efficiency, and reduced operational, maintenance, and life cycle costs.

If equipped with waterjets the draft is just 1.2 m. Allowing operations both offshore and close inshore, with a much reduced risk of damage to the propulsion system from floating debris or grounding.

With lower maintenance requirements and automated control systems, the vessel can be operated by a crew of only 23. This can be augmented with a Special Operations Unit of 7 personnel, with their own dedicated crew quarters.

 ADVANTAGES

Over the past 20 – 30 years, catamarans have overtaken monohulls as the preferred design in many marine activities, and now trimaran designs are also becoming more common. Known collectively as multihull designs, they now serve in rolls as warships, commercial vessels, ferries, service and support vessels, fire fighting boats, pleasure boats, and importantly Search and Rescue craft. Modern multihulls have fine bows that slice through waves and reduce pitching, which allows them to maintain higher speeds in rough conditions, and reach an accident scene faster.

By contrast, conventional mono-hulled vessels tend to slam into waves and roll excessively from side to side, and must slow down considerably in heavy weather. This rolling also makes it difficult to launch their onboard rescue boats, and increases the risk of injury when retrieving victims directly from the water. Even after a successful rescue, this rolling can exacerbate injuries to victims who have sustained spinal damage.

A noticeable features of the multihull design, is increased beam. This additional width increases stability, making rescues safer, and gives increase space to take more victims on board. In a ferry disaster this enables more people to be saved, and with a much reduced chance of capsize. This happens on mono-hull vessels when they become overloaded and top-heavy.

Due to their form and lighter displacement, multihulls tend to sit on the water, rather than in the water. This gives them a much shallower draft, and enables them to operate in relatively shallow water. Giving the potential to get closer to stranded vessels, and enter shallow bays and estuaries. This is a significant advantage in situations where harbour infrastructure does not exist, or may have been damaged by tsunami or earthquakes.

 Additional features include:

- Less resistance because the longer narrow hulls give a higher length: beam ratio.

- Less resistance because of lighter displacement. (Composite is 30% lighter than aluminum)

- Less Drag = higher speed… or… less fuel consumption = longer range.

- Improved maneuverability and course stability

- Multi-role capability… can be used for patrol, humanitarian and disaster relief.

For FMPV :

For SAR :

For OPV:

Northseaboats