Enormous waterjet boat could be the next generation of warships
Waterjet boats are propelled by a fast jet of water that's
forced through pumps and shot out of the back of the ship. And
now the military is implanting this technology in huge boats to
make them achieve super speeds.  The ferry you see here is a
concept design from Incat, and is under construction in
Australia right now. It's 325 feet long, powered by liquefied
natural gas, and will go 50 knots. It's going to be the model
for military ships of the future.  Maritime Propulsion reports:
Australian shipbuilder Incat and its U.S. subsidiary Bollinger
Shipyards, has built several high-speed waterjet vessels for the
U.S. military. Based on successful catamaran ferry designs,
Joint Venture (HSV-X1) was chartered to the US Army TACOM and
operated by the Navy and then Army. Joint Venture displaces
1,740 tons fully loaded, is 96 meters long, and can achieve
speeds up to 48 knots. The catamaran uses four Caterpillar 3618
marine diesel engines with four W