Spartan Scout
Encyclopedia
The Spartan Scout is a crewless surface watercraft
, also known as an unmanned surface vehicle
(USV) developed by the United States
in 2001, and first demonstrated in late 2003. The craft, a rigid hull
inflatable
boat
, weighs two tons, and is seven meters (23 ft) in length. It has a .50 caliber machine gun
, as well as various sensors such as electro-optical and infrared
surveillance and surface search radar
. The Spartan is capable of carrying a 3,000 lb payload. According to a press release from the United States Navy
, the Spartan Scout will also come in a 11-meter version, capable of carrying a 5,000 lb payload.
Although a two-man boat crew is needed to deploy the Spartan Scout, once deployed it is capable of working autonomously or semi-autonomously. During its demonstration deployment, the Spartan Scout was configured for surface surveillance
and force protection, although it can potentially be configured for more complex missions.
Watercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
, also known as an unmanned surface vehicle
Unmanned surface vehicle
The term unmanned surface vehicle or autonomous surface vehicle refers to any vehicle that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs have been tested since World War II but have been largely overshadowed. This is due to the fact the USVs, such as the OWL Mk II surveillance drone,...
(USV) developed by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2001, and first demonstrated in late 2003. The craft, a rigid hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
inflatable
Inflatable
An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their...
boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
, weighs two tons, and is seven meters (23 ft) in length. It has a .50 caliber machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, as well as various sensors such as electro-optical and infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
surveillance and surface search radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. The Spartan is capable of carrying a 3,000 lb payload. According to a press release from the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, the Spartan Scout will also come in a 11-meter version, capable of carrying a 5,000 lb payload.
Although a two-man boat crew is needed to deploy the Spartan Scout, once deployed it is capable of working autonomously or semi-autonomously. During its demonstration deployment, the Spartan Scout was configured for surface surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
and force protection, although it can potentially be configured for more complex missions.