Joint Multi-mission Expeditionary Craft (JMEC)
Northrop Grumman Corporation is exploring future combat system requirements and capabilities for the U.S. Navy's anticipated Riverine/Coastal Warfare program.The company worked with Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc. (ACB) in Bellingham, Wash., to build a riverine craft technology demonstrator that integrates Northrop Grumman's leading-edge navigation, surveillance, network and command and control systems onboard an innovative, ACB-designed riverine-class hullform.
The Riverine experimental boat, called the Joint Multimission Expeditionary Craft, initiated its in-water evaluation in May 2007 at ACB's headquarters. The craft and its systems are being demonstrated to potential customers.
ACB's design is 41 feet long with a 9-foot-11-inch beam and a draft of only 28 inches. Powered by two Cummins QSC 8.3-liter, 540 HP turbocharged diesel engines, the Joint Multimission Expeditionary Craft has a top speed of 48 miles per hour. With a crew of four, the new boat has room for another two observers and, depending on the mission, can also ferry a 14-member combat team or various cargoes up rivers or streams.
Northrop Grumman has designed a suite of network-centric warfare mission systems for the boat integrated with onboard and offboard systems-of-systems and command-and-control architecture. These include integrated electro-optical/infrared and radar sensors with 360-degree field of view; VHF/UHF radios with Internet Protocol capability (and provisions for growth for other radios); a wireless intercom system with active noise cancellation; common operator workstations with 17-inch color displays that have night vision compatibility and selectable crew station functions.
With this project, Northrop Grumman is exploring ways to apply its weapon systems integration expertise to the emerging opportunities in littoral and maneuver warfare. The company has decades of experience developing systems that enable distributed and networked operations.
Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc. is an aluminum boat manufacturer that provides rugged state-of-the-art aluminum boats to government, recreational and commercial customers on a global basis.