The trimaran missile patrol vessel launching with airbags
admin:admin time:2013-09-02
Most airbag launching projects are involved in civil vessels. Rarely can be found naval ships were launched with marine airbags. The first reason is high curved shiplines is not good for airbag launching, another reason may not be the technical aspect, there are sufficient budget to support floating dock launching for naval ships.
But there was warship once launched with airbags. On 31 August 2012North Sea Boats yard located in East Java, Indonesia launched one 63 m long stealth warship, KRI Klewang named after a single-edged Indonesian sword.
Fast facts of KRI Klewang
Crew: 29 officers and ratings
Length, overall: 63.0m
Length, waterline: 61.0m
Beam, overall: 16.0m
Water draft: 1.2m
Main engines: 4 x MAN V12 diesels powering MJP 550 waterjets
Dash speed: More than 30 knots
Range: 2000+ nautical miles on 50,000 litres of fuel
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.
KRI Klewang has sharply angled superstructure adds to the vessel's low observable features that make her hard to be detected by radar.
The KRI Klewang was dragged by a bulldozer to move from building site to the launch beach with supporting airbags. The ramp is plain natural ground with soft slope. One excavator was employed to hold the patrol boat during its moving. When boat arrived at the launch position, one tug pulled it into the sea.
The launch is not fabulous in fact somewhat tousy. But it is a trimaran warship never be launched with airbags so it is creative and meaningful. Airbags launching technology suits not only flat bottom vessel but also vessels with special bottom shape, such as grand yachts and trimarans.
