The M80 Stiletto: The Military's Experimental Carbon Fiber Stealth Boat

When staying ahead of the game can mean the difference between life and death, constant innovation is vital for military technology. One key area in which innovation matters the most, especially in naval warfare, is stealth. Because of this, the race to quiet ocean surveillance has been intense, with most modern submarines becoming nearly impossible to detect. For naval boats, submarines, and weapons to be as silent as possible, there are plenty of factors that come into play, such as materials, shape, and size.

Serving as a technology demonstrator for what could be possible, the U.S. Department of Defense and M Ship Company announced the launch of the M80 Stiletto in 2006 (via The Royal Institution of Naval Architects). Built by Knight & Carver Yacht Center, Fox News even dubbed the Navy Seal boat as "Batmobile" due to its unusual appearance and ability to fulfill the stringent requirements of the American special operations forces. Here's why it's such an interesting and important naval vessel for the U.S. Navy.

Similar to military aircraft stealth technology, naval warfare also incorporates some of its features in its fleets. Regardless of the environment, military aircraft and naval vessels require reduced detectability from radar and infrared systems. For this reason, one of the key differentiators that the Stiletto M80 has from traditional navy boats is its catamaran hull design.

Although not impossible to detect on radar, this design has a lower profile that helps reduce its radar cross-section, making it more challenging to track. Additionally, the Stiletto M80's globally patented technology, the M-hull, uses bow wave energy to create an air cushion, which acts like an effective shock absorber for high-speed sailing, per Military.com.

However, due to its different landscape, there are unique challenges in the water that the M80 Stiletto addresses. For example, naval vessels need to consider the role of sonar in their operations. To manage this, the M80 Stiletto is constructed with composite materials that don't just scatter radar waves better but also reduce its overall noise and vibration. With this, it can better evade enemy submarines that could potentially be lurking beneath its surface. In fact, the M80 Stiletto is also the largest U.S. government vessel made with carbon fiber, which contributes to its lightness and stiffness.

[Featured image by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Moger/U.S. Navy via Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Cropped and scaled | Public domain]

Aside from its ability to remain unnoticed for longer than a traditional military boat, another reason that the M80 Stiletto is so compelling is because of its versatility. According to Military Machine, the M80 Stiletto can travel up to 50–60 knots in the ocean and is also capable of racing into shallow water. Unlike traditional navy ships, this means the M80 Stiletto can pursue evaders more effectively in new areas.

Additionally, the M80 Stiletto is also known for dedicating nearly 45% of its gross weight to the payload. With a maximum gross weight of 67 tons, the M80 Stiletto has a length of 88 feet, with a 40-foot beam and a rectangular deck area, which can effectively carry up to three crew, 30 SEALs, and equipment. Not to mention, it holds the ability to deploy ISR and surveillance assets.

[Featured image by Petty Officer 1st Class Monica Mccoy/U.S. Navy via Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Cropped and scaled | Public domain]

Although the M80 Stiletto has never truly made it out of the workshop, the U.S. Department of Defense has successfully conducted field trials of the boat in the Trident Warrior joint-forces exercises in California. In addition, the M80 Stiletto was also deployed in Colombia in shallow-water drug interdiction, where it ended in a "dramatic, high-speed chase of a 'go-fast' boat in shallow waters near the Florida coast that resulted in the apprehension of three suspected smugglers." During the operation, over 1,800 pounds of cocaine were seized, The Daily Mail reported.

Since its initial release, M Ship Co has continued to improve its original design, per The Drive, which includes its drone mothership offering, the Stiletto Maritime Operations Center. In 2012, the U.S. Navy held the Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program and the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) to showcase its capabilities, such as methods for the launch and recovery of unmanned air, surface, and underwater systems.

Almost a decade later, the M80 Stiletto, in partnership with Drone Sentry, was able to successfully disrupt simulated drone swarms during its trials using artificial intelligence. So, while the M80 Stiletto hasn't really been implemented fully into active service, its ongoing contributions in terms of the development of naval technology shouldn't be understated.

[Featured image by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Moger/U.S. Navy via Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Cropped and scaled | Public domain]