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. The ship has a maximum speed of 14 knots and is capable of operating in Sea State 5 (extremely rough) conditions. The vehicle cost approximately $50 million to build and the total test program was approximately $195 million over roughly 10 years. It was owned by the Navy and operated by LMSC personnel.
On 11 April 1993 Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. and the US Navy began daylight testing of SEA SHADOW off the coast of Southern California - the first time the craft was revealed to the public. Prior to that, all ship testing had been conducted at night, with the SEA SHADOW returning to the Hughes Mining Barge prior to daylight.
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