A top secret known as Stiletto
by Jeni Bone on 23 Feb 2009
Rounding up and heading off drug smugglers will be the mission of the Stiletto. MIAA
The US Military is undertaking tests on the high-speed Stiletto Boat which it plans to use to catch drug smugglers.
The experimental high-speed boat is the property of the United States military's Office of Force Transformation.
US Southern Command recently took the Stiletto to Cartagena, Colombia to test the Stiletto's ability to detect, deter and counter drug smuggling in Caribbean waters.
Hailed as 'the maritime version of the Batmobile', its look is pure futuristic stealth.
The M-shaped hull is designed for maximum speed even in shallow waters. It can sit in water three feet deep and cruise at 50 miles an hour.
'It's the funkiest looking, fastest thing on the water,' said Stiletto vessel master Isaiah Smith.
Tested in the waters of Cartagena, Colombia, notorious as a centre for cocaine trafficking, the vessel is destined for demanding work. The US military is hoping the Stiletto will finally enable the Coast Guard to intercept drug smugglers.
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