Navatek And Lockheed Team Up On SWATH Ship Design

Navatek Ships, Ltd. of Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Marine Systems Division of Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., of Sunnyvale, Calif, have teamed up to commercialize SWATH ship technology originally developed by Lockheed for the defense industry.

The announcement of the joining was made by Steven Loui, president of Pacific Marine, the parent of Navatek Ships, and Michael Laden, vice president of Lockheed Missiles & Space Co.

In a joint statement, the companies noted that "the end of the Cold War has opened up the opportunity for American industry to commercialize selected defense technologies, and we look forward to working together to advance SWATH ship design and commercialization of those designs worldwide." Navatek Ships, Ltd. designed and built the first U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)-approved commercial SWATH cruise ship in America, the Navatek I, in service in Hawaii since March 1990.

The 140-foot, 18-knot, 430-passenger vessel is reportedly the largest commercial SWATH built in the U.S., and the first in the world to be classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Operated by Royal Hawaiian Cruises, it has carried more than 400,000 passengers on its three daily-scheduled cruises. Royal Hawaiian The Navatek II, under construction at Navatek Ships, will feature a state-of-the-art motion control system from Lockheed. Cruises will also operate the 82-foot, 22-knot, 149-passenger SWATH Navatek II, now under construction and scheduled to begin commercial service in Hawaii in January 1994.

Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., a leading defense contractor, has been involved in the development of many unique, high-tech marine vehicles.

In addition to the Polaris/Poseidon/Trident missile programs, Lockheed developed one of the world's first deep diving manned vehicles, Deep Quest, followed by development of the Navy's submarine rescue submersibles, Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle I & II.

Lockheed's patented motion control system has been installed in the U.S. Navy's T-AGOS 19 and T-AGOS 23 SWATH surveillance ships, and the company's high-tech SWATH hull designs and computer aided ship control systems continue to push state of the art. Defense conversion opportunities, such as those being pursued with Navatek Ships, Ltd., are a high priority with Lockheed.

The first product of this collaborative teaming arrangement is Navatek's new 82-foot SWATH prototype. "We knew Lockheed had done extensive hydrodynamic studies on SWATH hull forms for the defense industry," said Mr. Loui.

Navatek has the commercial license to use the Lockheed patented single-canted strut, stable rudder and non-parallel SWATH hull technologies. Lockheed retains the rights to the technology for the defense and government markets.

Additionally, Lockheed is designing a motioncontrol system for Navatek's new Navatek II.

The two companies, in addition to their collaboration on SWATH design, are also exploring other hull forms first developed by Lockheed for the defense industry, which may also offer some commercial potential. "The development of dualuse technologies, applicable both to civilian and military users, is being encouraged by the Clinton Administration," both manufacturers noted.