Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Bradstone Challenger
U.S. officials are worried that Iran is trying to obtain a record-breaking speedboat to use as a weapon against American or other navies in the Persian Gulf. The boat in question is the Lorne Campbell-designed Bradstone Challenger, a Bladerunner 51 series craft that set a new mark in 2005 for circumnavigating Great Britain in a little over 27 hours.
Iranian attempts to purchase the boat were initially thwarted by the British government. But after it changed ownership several times, the Bradstone Challenger again appeared headed for Iran, which prompted the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security to try and block the sale.
Washington suspects that Iran wants to equip the boat—which can reach speeds of 74 mph—with Russian-designed Shkval (Squall) torpedoes, the fastest of its kind in the world. There is also speculation that the Iranian military wants to study the construction of the boat and produce copies.
At one point Washington considered deploying a team of Special Operations commandoes to intercept the ship carrying the Bradstone Challenger. But the mission was called off.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Iran-Bound Powerboat Raises Fears (by Guy Dinmore, Financial Times)
Iran Acquires High-Tech Poweboat (by Paul Koring, Globe and Mail)
Bladerunner 51 (IceMarine.com)
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