Hydrofoil ships boast some advantages that would make them quite practical from a military perspective. Using the “fin” that is the foil, they are able to essentially rise out of the surface of the water. By so doing, a boat is less beholden to the effect of the surrounding water, which results in smoother movements and higher speeds.
The result is a small, agile ship that can make quick, precise movements. Such qualities, of course, have a lot of potential utility in a military capacity in particular. Sometimes, after all, something more subtle than an enormous warship is necessary.
In the past, the U.S. Navy has used hydrofoils. According to Naval History and Heritage Command, the tremendous threat posed by submarines in the 1960s saw the seafaring service introduce a series of powerful, maneuverable hydrofoils. The first of these was USS High Point, which boasted a trio of submerged hydrofoils. The High Point opened the door for a class of Pegasus-series of hydrofoil ships. This class of ships, Popular Mechanics reports, could reach 48 knots at full speed, powered by its foils and General Electric LM2500 gas turbine.
They were, in short, the fastest things in the Navy’s arsenal in the 1970s. Why did hydrofoils largely disappear from the military, then? They just weren’t practical.
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