18:39 GMT, March 16, 2010 BMT Nigel Gee Ltd and BMT Defence Services Ltd, subsidiaries of BMT Group Ltd, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, have unveiled their new design for a highly capable Fast Landing Craft (FLC).

Contracted by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) the BMT team developed a novel, tri-bow monohull platform using a parent hull-form derived from an internal BMT research and development programme, which included model tests to optimise performance.

Ed Dudson, Technical Director at BMT Nigel Gee, says: "Sized to occupy a similar footprint to the existing LCU Mk10 and thus capable of operating with UK amphibious support vessels, our innovative design meets the demanding UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) requirement for an FLC with high transit speed and high payload capacity whilst demonstrating excellent on-beach stability."

Made from aluminium for light weight and strength, BMT's specially developed FLC hull-form design allows:

• High-speed, heavy-payload operations (up to 28.5 knots fully fuelled and carrying four all-terrain vehicles, or up to 22 knots fully fuelled and carrying a main battle tank);
• Minimum speed loss in rougher seas (less than 1 knot speed reduction in Sea State 4);
• Excellent sea-keeping and manoeuvrability characteristics;
• On-beach stability.

Other features include:

• Three high-speed MTU diesel engines coupled to waterjets, providing reliability and redundancy;
• Dependable, easily accessible machinery.

BMT has a pedigree in independent naval design, strong technical capability, proven record of innovation and extensive portfolio of designs, particularly for high-speed vessels. BMT was awarded this important MOD contract as part of a DE&S Design Solutions Study to determine viable hull forms to satisfy a FLC requirement.

The MOD will, as part of its FLC Concept Phase, conduct a cost and performance based appraisal of this design with other options determined in the FLC Design Solutions Study.