Sea Shadow (IX-529) was an experimental stealth ship built by Lockheed for the United States Navy to determine how a low radar profile might be achieved and to test high-stability hull configurations that have been used in oceanographic ships.

Having proven to be quicker than a conventional ship and amazingly stable in heavy seas, Rich decided the SWATH was the perfect model for a stealthy ship. With this news, Rich travelled back to Washington to meet with Defense Undersecretary Bill Perry in …

Mar 2, 2025 · One of the most intriguing and secretive vessels ever built is the Sea Shadow (IX-529), a highly classified stealth ship developed by Lockheed Skunk Works for the U.S. Navy. Designed to be nearly invisible to radar, the Sea Shadow was an experimental vessel that paved the way for modern stealth warships.

Sea Shadow was a test craft developed under a combined program by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Navy, and Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (LMSC). Its purpose was to explore a variety of new technologies for military surface ships, these included automated ship control, Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH ...

Nov 28, 2023 · Dubbed the Sea Shadow (IX-529), it was developed in great secrecy – and while it may have been a “stealth ship” it wasn’t in fact invisible to the naked eye. In fact, with its unique Small...

Feb 1, 2025 · The Sea Shadow prototype was designed to test the application of stealth technology at sea, exploring how its stealth capabilities would perform in real-world conditions.

Dec 3, 2020 · In the July 1993 issue, Popular Mechanics explored the U.S. Navy's new stealth creation, the Sea Shadow. The one-off research vessel resembled an F-117 Nighthawk on water, and its mission was...

Aug 28, 2021 · The Navy’s innovation testing ship, the stealthy Sea Shadow, enters drydock after a cruise in San Diego Bay. Armed with high hopes, Rich took the design and test results to the Pentagon office of a Navy captain in charge of submarine research and development.

Mar 1, 2015 · SEA SHADOW was built in the mid-1980s by Lockheed in the Hughes Mining Barge (HMB-1) in Redwood City, CA. The vehicle is 160-ft. long, 70-ft. wide, displaces 560 tons and has a draft of 14 ft. It has a maximum speed of approximately 13 knots and is powered by a twin screw diesel electronic drive.

Jul 19, 2017 · Taking this knowledge, Lockheed engineers applied the same concept to a ocean-going vessel and this work begat the "Sea Shadow" (IX-529) - the world's first stealth ship to ever grace the water. The initial Sea Shadow design was actually intended for submarine tests and involved a cigar-shaped hull covered over in faceted plates.