The CHARC: Covert High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft

Very Low Signature

As the CHARC is semi-submersible, and the emmissions from its twin 3,000-horse power diesel engines are exhausted into the water, this eliminates or significantly reduces infrared emission signatures in the littoral environment.

The CHARC is also designed to have a low radar signature and accordingly, it can lie low or patrol covertly for hours at a time, but with the ability to attack on a moments notice with a lethal capability that begins with the nose-mounted slewable 20mm rapid-fire gun and gets nastier from there.

On each side of the fuselage are four internal weapons bays that can be configured appropriately for dealing with the most likely threats. For example, one might hold a canisterised AGM-114 Hellfire missile or Joint Common Missile for line-of-sight engagements, or perhaps Lockheed Martin's NetFires system could be incorporated for a beyond-line-of-sight attack capability or even a 40mm grenade launcher.

Reconfigurable

CHARC is a geometrically reconfigurable SWATH craft. Standing tall, it can withstand high sea states with the main body of the craft cruising between two and five metres above the water s. Its design avoids rather than mitigates the shock of going fast in a small ship in high sea states.

Reconfigured for shallow waters, the CHARC has an astonishing minimum draft of just 1.5m, enabling it to patrol up estuaries and contribute significantly to situational awareness.

As the CHARC uses directional waterjets for its propulsion, it is also very manoeuvrable.

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