Michegan-based naval design house Ghostworks Marine announced on 25 September 2024 the launch of its latest M-Hull vessel: the M40.
The first M40 went from design to completed sea trials in six months, the company noted, adding that the vessels is currently on an East Coast tour to demonstrate its capabilities. Starting in Washington, DC, the tour will take in future stops in Annapolis, Virginia Beach, Charleston, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale and the Florida Keys.
The M-Hull design “affords unprecedented stability, efficiency, modularity, all weather capability, and payload flexibility for nearly any mission” Ghostworks states on its website, adding that the M40 “provides up to a 60% reduction in impact and wave slap compared to a traditional V-hulled vessel of its size”.
The M-Hull technology was invented by former US deputy secretary of state Charles ‘Chuck’ Robinson and was previously owned by his company: M-Ship Co. The M-Hull platform was implemented in the M80 Stiletto: a prototype vessel launched almost two decades ago that is still in use by the US Navy.
Ghostworks connected with Robinson’s daughter Heather Robinson in 2022 with a shared goal of revitalising and making good use of her father’s innovations. Ghostworks thus acquired an exclusive global licence for the entirety of the M-Ship Co intellectual property portfolio, including the M80 Stiletto.
The M40 is the first of a new generation of Ghostworks M-Hull vessels. Its flexibility allows customisation for a wide variety of missions, including but not limited to security, policing, search and rescue, logistics, and research operations. The M40 design also facilitates beach landings as well as carriage in a well deck of a larger mothership. Its carbon fibre hull, meanwhile, is nearly maintenance free as it does not corrode, expand or warp, thereby allowing the paint to last longer.
The monocoque design is minimally manned by a crew of one or two, although the vessel can be converted to be uncrewed. The flexibility of the M40 design allows for the carriage of modular packages and for changes in mission to occur quickly and safely. The M40 can be customised to accommodate a variety of weapon systems, with the Ghostworks website mentioning non-lethal weapons, .50 calibre guns, and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets.
Congressman Bill Huizenga of Michigan, in whose US Congressional district Ghostworks is headquartered, was quoted by the company as saying, “I am thrilled to have what I hope will be the new normal in naval design and DoD shipbuilding in my backyard. Having a chance to drive the boat it is easy to see how our military will benefit greatly from this incredible design. I am confident that Ghostworks’ unique expertise in advanced materials and engineering from years in the yacht racing industry will provide incredible value to the DoD and US taxpayers.”
