Marine Log - October 2008 - (Page 12)

Update The DOD combats drug traffickers with the INLAND • COASTAL • OFFSHORE • DEEPSEA M80 Stiletto The 80 ft by 40 ft M80 Stiletto is unlike any other military vessel. Constructed solely out of carbon fiber to provide it with a low weight and increased stiffness, the twin M hull has a draft of 2.5 ft allowing it to enter shallow waters, and offers less drag and greater operating efficiency. The M Hull’s shape allows Stiletto to automatically choose what type of lift mode—hydrostatic, hydrodynamic or aerostatic— is needed. Last month Stiletto helped nab drug traffickers off the Florida Straits during a high-speed chase that lasted a little over two hours, reached speeds of up to 50 knots and ended after the trafficker were nabbed in shallow waters. The M80 Stiletto was designed and built by San Diego-based M Ship Co. www.mshipco.com Coast Guard blows lid on stealthy smugglers rug smugglers are using advanced technology and well crafted submersible vessels to smuggle tons of cocaine into other countries. Last month alone, the U.S. Coast Guard seized a total 14 tons of cocaine from two self-propelled, semi-submersible (SPSS) crafts. Both crafts were spotted from a U.S. Navy aircraft that was flying overhead. The first craft intercepted, a 59 ft SPSS made of steel and fiberglass, was spotted by a U.S. Navy aircraft that alerted officers on the USS McInerney to send out D two small boats, carrying the Coast Guard’s law enforcement Detachment 404. The second SPSS, a 60 ft craft was seized just four days later. The boardings of SPSS crafts tend to be dangerous because smugglers attempt to reverse the engines in hopes of throwing off the officers , or they open the scuttling valves in an attempt to flood the craft and sink it. The SPSS craft were equipped with state-ofthe-art navigation and communication equipment. They can travel from South America to San Diego, Calif., without stopping for fuel or other supplies. Each of the SPSS craft contained 7 tons of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $383 million. 12 MARINE LOG OCTOBER 2008 www.marinelog.com http://www.mshipco.com http://www.hornblowermarine.com http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - October 2008

Marine Log - October 2008 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Fresh Fuel Ferries Exhibitors Preview Ferries get "Smarter" China's Great Ambitions Newsmakers Tech News Contracts Events Website Directory ML Buyer's Guide ML Marketplace Shipbuilding History

Marine Log - October 2008

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