Navy's Stealth Sea Shadow to Be Scrapped

[Blowfeld]

The Sea Shadow was developed under a combined Navy, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Company Program. (US Navy)

Updated: Thursday, 23 Jun 2011, 10:32 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 23 Jun 2011, 10:32 AM EDT

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - The U.S. Navy's $195 million, 007-style stealth ship, the Sea Shadow, is on its way to the junk yard.

The ship, which inspired the James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies," is on its way out after some two decades of experimentation.

The Navy had hoped someone would buy the Sea Shadow and put it on display. But after spending millions of dollars over five years trying to find a buyer, the Navy no longer is holding onto hope for a museum to buy the craft, reported FOXNews.com .

"The next disposition is dismantling and recycling," said Navy spokesman Chris Johnson told FOXNews.com .

Officials said the ship was never intended for missions, only for testing. "The craft was built to examine application of stealth technology on naval missiles," Johnson said.

The Navy reported that lessons learned from Sea Shadow have affected current ship designs, equipment and concepts.

The vessel was built modularly under tight secrecy in the early 1980s by different manufacturers. It was assembled inside the Hughes Mining Barge at Redwood City, Calif. The barge would be moved out to sea in the dead of night and halfway submerged so the Sea Shadow could be tested in secrecy, according to the Navy.

The ship doesn't have traditional rudders for steering. Its angled sides and other features helped the ship remain stable even in waves up to 18-feet high, according to the Navy.

The vessel is 160 feet long and 70 feet wide and has a maximum speed is 14 knots, reported the Daily Mail .

The Sea Shadow now berths inside the rusting hulk of a fully submersible dry dock at the Navy's Mole Pier in San Diego, Calif. Its condition is unclear.

The dry dock keeps the ship safely hidden from spy satellites and from public view, reported FOXNews.com

Read more: http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpps/news/n ... _13813450/

[Dr. No]

Problem with a stealth ship is you can see it from 10 miles away. The way it was used in TND is about the only way to use it. Very sparingly and in the dark.