Moroccan Marine Police purchase two Griffon 500TDs

The Moroccan Marine Police have recently ordered two Griffon 500TD hovercraft, to be used along Morocco’s 1,835 km coastline bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Griffon 500TD will be launched in March 2010 and replaces the ever popular and successful 420TD. This state of the art craft that grew out of the 420TD is a twin diesel-engined craft capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots (35 mph, 55kms/hr) designed for amphibious operations in protected waters. Seating 6-8 people, including the driver, or carrying a total of 470kgs (1036lbs) of payload, this highly manoeuverable small hovercraft will operate where no boat can venture – over land, shallow water, sand banks, mud flats, rocks, weed, logs, debris and rapids.

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Griffon Hoverwork sponsors the World Hovercraft Championships 2010

Griffon Hoverwork are pleased to announce that they are the title sponsor of the World Hovercraft Championships this year.

Organised by the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain on behalf of the World Hovercraft Federation (WHF) this year’s event will be held at the Towcester race course, Northampton, between the 25th to 29th August 2010 with the main racing occurring on 27th, 28th and 29th.

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Launch of the Partially Air Cushioned Suspended Catamaran (PACSCAT)

Recently, Griffon Hoverwork Ltd in collaboration with QinetiQ, BMT Nigel Gee and Aluminium Shipbuilders Ltd has launched and successfully trialled the latest innovation in military landing craft. The PACSCAT (Partial Air Cushion Supported CATamaran) recently entered the water for the first time at Griffon Hoverwork’s facilities in Hythe and will shortly commence rigorous sea trials.

The high speed, all aluminium PACSCAT is 30m long, 7.7m in the beam, has a design vehicle payload of 55 tonnes and an approximate loaded weight of 175 tonnes. It is propelled by twin waterjets, driven by MTU Diesel engines and is designed to test at full scale the hydrodynamics of the PACSCAT hullform and to investigate its feasibility to deliver significantly faster speeds than traditional landing craft. The vessel makes use of the PACSCAT concept originated by John Lewthwaite of Independent Maritime Assessment Associates Ltd.

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The Swedish Coastguard orders a new Griffon 2400TD

Griffon Hoverwork Ltd has recently won a contract with the Swedish Coast Guard, the first tender bid to be conducted entirely online, to supply a Griffon 2400TD that will join their growing fleet of Griffon hovercraft. This is the same model recently purchased by the British Royal Marines (as shown in the picture, above), however it will be specially modified for use in cold temperatures with sump heaters, battery heaters, twin cabin heaters, heated windows and extensive insulation. In addition, it will have the capacity to carry two snow buggies.

The new 13 metre, high-speed amphibious Griffon 2400TD (M)s offer a greater payload, performance and obstacle clearance than the 2000TD model. Each craft is powered by a 440hp liquid-cooled Deutz diesel engine, has a maximum payload of 2.4 tonnes and obstacle clearance of 0.73 metres. It will also be built with a variety of specialised and state of the art equipment, similar to their existing craft which have cellular phones, Coast Guard radio, GPS, radar and electronic compass. Stretchers and a large complement of crash rescue equipment are also carried. These 40 knots craft, which have a range of over 300 miles, will allow the Coastguard to patrol areas where it is difficult, if not impossible, for conventional craft to operate.

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Abu Dhabi Special Forces purchase 6 Griffon 380TDs

The Abu Dhabi Special Forces recently purchased six Griffon 380TD hovercraft to provide the security for the Formula 1 race that took place on Yas Island in November 2009. The 25 km2 island, located between the coast and city of Abu Dhabi and Duba, is home to the Marine Circuit, described by Bernie Ecclestone as “one of the most exciting tracks I’ve ever seen”. However, it is also surrounded by shallow water, making it almost inaccessible by conventional boats. The low-noise 380TD will accomplish almost any task performed by a conventional boat of the same size, but it will operate where no boat can venture – overland, shallow water, sandbanks, mudflats, weed, logs, debris and rapids, making it the ideal choice for this task.

The craft were completed in less than two months and the Abu Dhabi Special Forces visited Griffon’s new offices in Hythe for tactical hovercraft training.

The 380TD is the smallest craft in the Griffon range, capable of carrying 6 persons or a payload of 450kgs. The 380TD is a rugged rigid-inflatable hovercraft that benefits from having two diesel engines, one for lift and one for thrust, improving craft control in a rescue scenario. With the hover-on hover-off trailer, one person can quickly and easily transport and operate this unique vessel, virtually anywhere.

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The Emergency Services Show 2009

For the fourth year running, the Emergency Services Show will take place on the 24th and 25th of November at Stoneleigh Park in Coventry. There have been many recent incidents that have highlighted the need for emergency service organisations and agencies to work closely together to ensure a co-ordinated and more effective response, including the Italian earthquake in April 2009, worldwide terrorist attacks and the potential swine flu pandemic, which has promptly activated civil contingency plans.

The main aim of the Emergency Services Show is to facilitate this much needed cooperation, as well as providing all organisations involved in emergencies with access to the latest cutting edge technology, a unique opportunity to network with likeminded professionals and the chance to share industry information.

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RNLI purchases 7 Griffon Hoverwork 470TDs

As many Emergency Service and Rescue personnel can testify to, more often than not the scene of an emergency is in an area where local conditions make it difficult if not dangerous to attempt a rescue. This means that the crucial first minutes of a rescue can pass before personnel have reached the scene of the accident. A small amphibious hovercraft can help Emergency Services reach a casualty quickly and safely; their unusual properties mean they can travel at high speed over difficult terrain such as flood waters, rapids, mud flats, thin ice, swamps, debris strewn rivers, and snow.

This is certainly true for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) – the charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the UK and Republic of Ireland. The charity has purchased seven of Griffon Hoverwork’s 470TDs to add to its fleet of more than 300 lifeboats, which range from 5m to 17m in length. RNLI lifeboats can be divided into two categories: all-weather lifeboats and inshore lifeboats. Different classes of lifeboat are needed for different places due to the geography of the area and the nature of the rescue. Hovercrafts are a complement to the lifeboat fleet as they can operate in areas such as mud flats or river estuaries, allowing the charity’s volunteer crews to carry out vital rescue work in the areas that are inaccessible to conventional lifeboats.

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Largest Hovercraft Ever to Be Exported from the UK on Trials

Pictured, the latest addition to the Canadian Coast Guard’s hovercraft fleet undergoing trials off the Isle of Wight. Mamilossa (Abenakis Indian for “he who goes from water to the land”) weighs in at 75 tonnes, was manufactured at St Helens on the Island by Griffon Hoverwork Limited and can exceed 60 mph. Mamilossa will be based in the St Lawrence Estuary where she will be utilised for the deployment of buoys and ice breaking duties. She is fitted with a very large crane with a reach exceeding 12 metres for lifting buoys up to 5.6 tonnes. Length 28.5m, width 12m, maximum loaded weight 75 tonnes, speed 45 knots maximum 40 knots full loaded, range 400 n.m. Engines – four Caterpillar C32 twelve cylinder diesels each producing up to 1125HP. Engines are electronically controlled and meet Tier 2 emission standards. The crane is a Palfinger 650002 marine hydraulic knuckle boom unit with 12m outreach. The hull is manufactured from marine grade aluminium and both hull and flexible skirt were manufactured by Griffon Hoverwork at St Helens where fitting out and completion of the craft was also carried out.

The Canadian Coast Guard has been a faithful customer to Griffon Hoverwork since the 1960s when they took delivery of their first five tonne SRN5.

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Changi Airport Singapore Orders Second Griffon Hovercraft

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has ordered a second Griffon 8000TD hovercraft from Griffon Hoverwork Limited (GHL) of Southampton England.

The 8-10 tonnes payload Griffon 8000TD is to be based at Changi International Airport for crash rescue duties in the shallow waters of the Johore Straits and the Straits of Singapore. The new hovercraft will work alongside the Griffon 8000TD currently in operation in a search and rescue role.

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