Strategic Marine, Eureka Naval Craft position attack craft for upcoming requirement

A visualisation of the Aircat Bengal MC modular attack surface craft. (Eureka Naval Craft/Strategic Marine)

A recently announced tie-up involving Singapore-based shipbuilder Strategic Marine and US firm Eureka Naval Craft has been carried out in anticipation of an upcoming requirement for an attack craft programme.

In response to questions from Janes , Bo Jardine, CEO of Eureka Naval Craft, clarified that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the two companies to develop the Aircat Bengal MC attack craft was not made with the intention of producing a “conceptual placeholder”.

“The MOU between Strategic Marine and Eureka Naval Craft for the Bengal MC represents a deliberate strategic alignment designed to position the vessel for forthcoming defence requirements,” he clarified.

However, while talks are ongoing, details on these requirements and their commercial terms cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality issues, he added.

Strategic Marine and Eureka Naval Craft announced in a joint statement on 20 August that the two companies have signed an MOU to develop the Aircat Bengal MC, a modular attack craft that is derived from the catamaran-hulled Aircat Crewliner 35 that has been used in offshore oil and gas operations.

The Aircat Crewliner 35 has an overall length of about 35 m, and it can accommodate about 80 passengers. Propelled by four waterjets, the vessel can reach top speeds in excess of 50 kt and a range of about 700 n miles with the economical cruising speed of 38 kt.

While it has been pictured with largely point defence weapons, the Aircat Bengal MC features a modular payload architecture that allows rapid reconfiguration for operations such as anti-surface warfare; mine countermeasures; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and humanitarian assistance missions, said Strategic Marine and Eureka Naval Craft.