In covert military missions on, much is done to remain invisible to the enemy. That's where VICTA comes in: a vessel that that is also a submarine and was specially designed to drop off divers.
Currently being developed by British firm SubSea Craft, VICTA is 11.95 metres long and 2.3 metres wide and can accommodate six divers plus a pilot and navigator. The matte black composite hull is made of carbon fibre with a core of Diab foam, for a good strength-to-weight ratio.
At the start of the mission, VICTA moves quickly across the surface like an ordinary boat. To do so, it is powered by a modified Seatek 725+ diesel engine delivering 725 hp to a set of Konsberg Kamewa water jets. This enables a top speed of 40 knots, a cruising speed of 30 knots and a range of 250 nautical miles.
When things get more critical, VICTA stops and floods the cabin, submerging it within two minutes. It then becomes a "wet submarine": the occupants are submerged in the water and wear diving gear. The divers and crew breathe through an open-circuit air system on board, so the divers do not have to use their tanks prematurely. The on-board system allows eight people to breathe freely for four hours.
In underwater mode, VICTA switches propulsion to six electric propellers powered by a lithium-ion battery. It then reaches a top speed of 8 knots. The maximum diving depth is 30 metres and the range is 25 nautical miles. The fly-by-wire steering technology allows the same set of controls to be used both on the surface and underwater.
Upon reaching the divers' target, VICTA stops, and the divers exit through wing doors on the sides.
A prototype is currently being assembled. The video below gives a preliminary impression of the VICTA.
