By Geoff Fein
MOORESTOWN, N.J.—Lockheed Martin [LMT] is teaming with United Kingdom-based Gibbs Technologies to develop militarized versions of the British company’s high-speed amphibian (HSA) technology.
Lockheed Martin Wednesday demonstrated two of Gibbs’ three-seater Aquada vehicles that look more like a sports car than anything that would maneuver across the water. The Aquada can reach speeds of 80 mph on land and 40 knots on the water, Scott Rudder, manager business development for Lockheed Martin, told Defense Daily during a demonstration of the HSA.
Rudder was demonstrating the vehicle in the Delaware River for rescue personnel and law enforcement near Fort Mifflin adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport.
According to Rudder, Gibbs invested 11 years and roughly $120 million to develop the technology and build its HSA for the consumer market. The two Aquadas and a larger Humdinga–a four-wheel drive, five-seater HSA–that Lockheed Martin had on display are proof of concept prototypes. So far, Gibbs has built about 50 HSAs, Rudder added.
“We are partnering with Gibbs. They will do consumer sales,” he said.
A simple push button system begins the conversion of the HSAs from land vehicles to high-speed watercrafts. As the HSA enters the water, sensors begin to activate the wheels to come up. Using the same controls as a car, the vehicle operates on the water. A single water jet serves as the propulsion system for the Aquada. On the water, the HSA is highly maneuverable, able to make tight turns. On Wednesday, in calm waters, Rudder demonstrated the stable ride offered by the Aquada.
Upon returning to a boat ramp, the single button activates the wheels dropping back down into place. The water jet system moves the HSA until the vehicle can drive up the ramp.
While the Aquada and Humdinga might be the envy of sport enthusiasts and those looking for high-speed fun on the open water, Lockheed Martin is looking beyond just a recreational use for the technology.
The company is proposing several HSA variants: the six-wheeled Amphibious Combat Craft/Riverine (ACC/R), Amphibious Combat Craft/Expeditionary (ACC/E) and the smaller Terraquad. Lockheed Martin is looking to sell the HSAs to U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the Marine Corps, the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command for its riverine forces, and the Coast Guard.
“A lot of the development cost has been taken out for the military,” Rudder said.
One problem facing Lockheed Martin, however, is that there has never been a requirement for high-speed amphibians, Rudder noted. “No one knew it existed.”
However, Rudder said the company has been actively demonstrating the capability of HSAs.
The company has deployed HSAs from large amphibious ships and has demonstrated the vehicles for the services.
“The feedback has been tremendous. We are actually driving around in vehicles that have proven themselves,” he said. “This takes out the barrier between land and water.”
The military version would have a top speed of 80 mph and 45 knots in the water, Rudder said. The smaller version will go 50 knots while the larger one will have a top speed of 35 knots, he added.
The Lockheed Martin variants will be more rugged, able to handle diverse terrain, Rudder said.
Range for the military versions is 100 miles on water and 100 miles on land on a single tank of diesel fuel (JP5). The vehicles will be equipped with commercial engines and use commercially available tires. Rudder stressed that commonality with other military vehicles is an important feature of the HSAs.
He added the vehicles would also be able to handle either a crew served or remote weapon.
The HSAs will also be armored, Rudder said.
“There has been enough advancement in armor…a lot of armor is buoyant,” he explained. “There are a number of sources available to provide armor.”
The ACC/R will be capable of assault and armed escort for land and sea; will support ship-to-objective maneuvers; and navigate rivers, deltas, lakes, highways, fields and beaches, according to Lockheed Martin.
The ACC/R is 35 feet long, can transport four to 20 personnel (depending upon the mission), weighs 19,276 pounds, and uses Gibbs proprietary waterjets.
The ACC/E is 20 feet long, weighs 8,800 pounds and can carry from four to eight personnel. The two-seat Terraquad is 12.5 feet long, weighs 2,204 pounds and is ideally suited for harbor and coastal patrol, Lockheed Martin added.