What’s On Board: SWIFT

It’s a fact that some of the military R&D spending will find its way back to the tax payer since innovative technologies are being applied in a commercial context at a later stage. For us boaters who have an interest in yacht automation, the U.S. Navy High Speed Vessel (HSV) SWIFT (at 294t long, it has a top-speed of 45 knots per hour) might trigger further innovation in this field. Computerworld takes a closer look at the technologies that have been deployed on this ship.
“The U.S. Navy has a new ship in its fleet that officers say may be the most technologically advanced vessel produced to date, with IT capabilities that are revolutionizing naval warfare and may play a vital role in responding to potential terrorist attacks in the U.S. The HSV (High Speed Vessel) 2 Swift, a 294-foot, aluminum-hulled catamaran, has a crew of only 42 sailors, but the lack of manpower is made up with extreme levels of automation. Nearly every function of the ship, from navigation and steering to engine and damage control, is conducted and monitored using commercial, off-the-shelf hardware and software.”