Eureka Naval Craft Teams Up with Strategic Marine in Singapore
Houston-headquartered defense company Eureka Naval Craft is ramping up production of its AIRCAT BENGAL MC warship in Asia after signing an MOU with Singapore shipbuilder Strategic Marine (S) Pte Ltd.
Eureka Naval Craft CEO Bo Jardine said the aim of the partnership is to bring a highly advanced Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) to the US Navy and allied navies quickly at a time of increased threat. The versatile catamaran vessel design can further be retooled for the commercial offshore industry as a workboat.
The AIRCAT BENGAL MC solves a pain-point for navies having sophisticated lethality including Tomahawk cruise missile capability, says Jardine. The vessel comes without the crippling costs and complex design requirements which have dogged naval shipbuilding programs in recent years.
The 36m multi-mission Surface Effect Ship (SES) can operate as a fully or semi-autonomous vessel. It is the first naval vessel globally to be able to carry a 40-tonne payload with a top speed of more than 50 knots, payload depending, and a range of 1,000 nautical miles.
“The reality is the naval market in this weight class needs disrupting,” he said. “Too many vessels today are outdated, sluggish, and expensive. The AIRCAT BENGAL MC provides an alternative to naval corvettes and frigates, thanks to its optimized design and use of modular construction techniques. And the vessel is so versatile it can be used as a troop transport vessel, landing support craft, electronic warfare platform, drone mothership and for mine laying and counter-mine warfare.”
The AIRCAT BENGAL MC has a modular payload system, large aft deck range, and high speed, making it ready to adapt to the ever-evolving threats and mission requirements.
Chan Eng Yew from Strategic Marine said: "We are delighted to collaborate with Eureka on this groundbreaking project. Our Singapore shipyard is equipped with the latest technology and staffed by a highly experienced team, enabling us to deliver complex vessels quickly and at scale. The AIRCAT BENGAL MC, with its advanced autonomy, exemplifies the future of high-performance vessels for both defense and offshore energy logistics."
The MOU will further have an AUKUS dimension via Eureka’s partnership with Australian defense company Greenroom Robotics. Jardine says the AIRCAT BENGAL MC has one of the most advanced autonomous navigation systems thanks to deploying the Greenroom Advanced Maritime Autonomy (GAMA) Software system. Greenroom has spent years developing the system notably on a 57m decommissioned Armidale-class patrol boat, Sentinel, known as the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT).
The MOU will see the AIRCAT BENGAL adapted for the commercial offshore oil and gas sector with the vessel’s ability to move items offshore and provide a fast, safe alternative for personnel transfer as key advantages.
Jardine also confirms Eureka is in talks with US shipyards and the US Navy to build AIRCAT vessels in the United States.
