Gas Cavity News

controllable, high-speed underwater transport. and evaluation program to establish the potential of a new technology. the water, thereby reducing drag and increasing vehicle speed. specialized military cargo at speeds up to 100 knots. vehicle. University's Applied Research Laboratory in State College, Pa. Mass. and Technology business unit. The contract comes with two 15-month options. scale and establish the detailed design of the demonstrator vehicle. would operate at 100 knots for durations of up to 10 minutes. potential value of all three phases is $45.8 million.

A team led by Northrop Grumman Corporation has won a $5.4 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to determine the feasibility of using supercavitation technology for stable, controllable, high-speed underwater transport. The Underwater Express program is a DARPA technology research and evaluation program to establish the potential of a new technology. Supercavitation creates a gas cavity between the vehicle surface and the water, thereby reducing drag and increasing vehicle speed. The program's ultimate goal is a new class of underwater craft for littoral missions that can transport small groups of Navy personnel or specialized military cargo at speeds up to 100 knots.