An extensive shock mitigation program is underway in both the Navy and USCG as a result of a strong DoD need for the Technology has emerged in recent years as a result of the increased scope of mission requirements for Navy and USCG personnel in small boats. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Panama City, FL issued a Report entitled "Repeated Water Entry Shocks on High-Speed Planing Boats" ("HSPB") that succinctly describes the current need as follows:
"HSPB water-entry shocks can produce discomfort, impair performance, and in extreme conditions, cause injuries…..Types of occupant debilitation related to repeated shocks include (1) en-route and on-arrival performance degradation by shock-related fatigue and discomfort, (2) chronic injuries from severe shocks or repeated moderate shocks, and (3) acute injuries from severe isolated shocks. Examples of debilitation, approximately in order of increasing severity, include annoyance, fatigue, sleepiness, discomfort, anxiety, nausea, loss of visual acuity and hand-eye coordination, abdominal pain or discomfort, testicular pain, headache and other head symptoms, chest pain, back pain, sprains, torn ligaments, broken ankles and legs, damaged vertebrae, and damage to internal organs."**
Because the Technology is designed to reduce the shock impact of waves on the hull before that shock is transmitted to the interior of the watercraft, Hydroflight® believes it has substantial competitive advantages over other technologies that attempt to reduce the effects of shock after it has been transmitted through the hull.
** Source: Report CSS/TR-96/27 by Richard Gollwitzer, Coastal Warfare Systems Department and Ronald Peterson, Coastal Research and Engineering Department, Document N00014WX20018 Appendix Exhibit 1.