The GHOST
Development of the first ever “super-cavitating craft” has produced a combination aircraft/boat that has been designed to fly through an artificial underwater gaseous environment that creates 900 times less hull friction than water.
GHOST technology adapts to manned or unmanned, surface or submerged applications and is ideal for piracy patrols and could be sea-based to provide protection from pirate attacks.
The manufacturers believe the US Navy could reduce its Naval footprint and financial exposure by deploying a squadron of GHOSTs from Bahrain, which would free up larger assets, such as destroyers and cruisers, saving costs in manpower and maintenance.
The Navy compares GHOST to an attack helicopter with regard to its capabilities for force protection. GHOST can deliver forces to any beach location quickly and quietly with enough weapons to conduct a hot extraction.
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It would be interesting if more hard numbers about the craft and the technology were provided. The pictured craft appears to be 20-30 feet long, but it is unclear that the (assumed) technology of air injection through the hull to produce a boundary layer would scale well.
The Perry class FFGs, for example, used air bubble curtains to reduce their signatures, but I don’t recall any effect of those air bubble curtains on ship resistance. Blount and Harley have both developed captured air bubble hullforms which have proved effective however, as have many surface-effect ship (SES) designs.