Barracuda: is this the ultimate stealth boat?

The Ireland-based boat design company, Safehaven Marine, is well-known for designing a wide range of boats that all fulfill one requirement: they’re sturdy as hell. The latest beast to come from their work shop, the Barracuda SV11, is certainly no exception and might be their greatest design yet.

Designed with specific clients in mind, such as the Polish Navy and the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research, the Barracuda boasts the perfect blend of speed, maneuverability, safety and firepower. If Batman ever needed a boat, this would undoubtedly be his first choice.

Let us take the Barracuda apart, starting from the outside and moving in.

The 11-meter stealth boat was specifically constructed for military use and boasts a menacing jet-black, bullet proof, low RCS carbon fibre body that allows it to “operate with a high degree of invisibility” according to the Safehaven Marine Website.

It has an extremely survivable design and features four watertight compartments, is self-righting and has notable balance between lightness and durability because of its carbon fibre body.
According to Foxtrot Alpha, the Barracuda can operate in up to sea state 8 (a measurement of ocean conditions), meaning that it could handle anything up to an intimidating 46 foot swell. It is able to keep its full operational speed up to sea state 5 (13 foot swells).

Its high-speed hull design, in conjunction with its twin 575hp shaft drive diesel set-up, allows the Barracuda to reach speeds of up to 40 knots per hour and also provides it with excellent sea-keeping abilities.

It was built to conceal a wide array of lethal and non lethal weaponry beneath its deck, safely protected under hatches, which can easily be raised when the time for engagement comes.
Now you might think that such a monster of a boat would devour fuel and you would be right. Fortunately, Safehaven Marine installed it with a 1 000-litre gas tank which, when filled up, can fuel the Barracuda for a distance of over 200 nautical miles.

The spacious, and rather aesthetically pleasing interior, stands in stark contrast to the Barracuda’s ominous outer appearance.

Sure it is fitted with a large variety of high tech gadgets and numerous placeholders for hand-held weapons but it sure doesn’t seem like a bad place to be.

Its large ballistic glass windows allow the interior to be bathed in sunlight (and of course provides the crew with high visibility), which is well complimented by the light coloured wooden floors.

Judging by the photos I’ve seem, I would even dare to call it “homey”. I can easily imagine myself kicking back in the shock absorbing bucket seats and enjoying a beer while raining bullets on a group of sea pirates.

The speedy stealth boat is designed to be run by a crew of at four to six people but can easily fit up to 12 passengers.

When it comes to sensors and weapons systems, the Barracuda once again amazes.

The design allows for a variety of systems to be equipped such as a remote operated machine gun, grenade launcher turret mounted on the boat’s bow and two stern mounts for manned machine guns.
In terms of sensor technology it can be fitted with anything from radar and sonar detection devices, to FLIR thermal imaging sensors.

The Barracuda SV11 is an extremely impressive piece of engineering and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see this beast starting to pop in militaries all around the world. Now if only it could fly and dive, it would be the world’s single most epic mode of transportation.