At first glance, the Sentinel yacht concept appears to be a contemporary support yacht for carrying abundant water- and aircraft. And that’s the point. She may look unassuming, but she’s the first line of defense for owners and guests who require a heightened level of security. In fact, she creates both digital and physical borders for protection, adapting in real time.
The 233-foot (71-meter) Sentinel yacht concept is from Shadowcat and superyacht-security specialist Allmode. “This vessel is about foresight,” explains Jennifer Johnston Smith, Shadowcat’s commercial director. For one, “Every structural element was conceived to protect quietly,” she notes. This includes reinforced bulkheads within the catamaran configuration. Ballistic shielding reinforces stairwells and rooms, for instance. In addition, a safe room that Shadowcat likens to a citadel can accommodate the owners, guests, and crew for several hours, while providing communications resilience.
Furthermore, integrated technology aboard Sentinel allows for counter surveillance, tailored to different regions of the world, to block electronic and/or digital intrusion. The surveillance system also feeds encrypted information to autonomous and piloted drones carrying out aerial and surface investigations. All of this works alongside radar, long-range optical sensors, and long-range thermal sensors. Altogether, the idea behind the Sentinel yacht concept is to keep owners safe and apprised without disrupting their or their guests’ onboard experience.
The safety extends to their on-land experience, too. For example, Shadowcat designed the Sentinel yacht to carry armored SUVs and other security vehicles, along with ATVs. These, along with watercraft like submersibles and tenders, deploy from a hydraulic launch system that can go directly to a shoreline or a dock. Complementing them are two helicopters, stowing on certified helipads, to provide transfers, support, or emergency extraction.
Medevac operations are possible, too, in conjunction with the megayacht’s onboard medical facilities. Shadowcat says the onboard infrastructure can replicate the quality of care on land. The Sentinel yacht therefore can include treatment and/or isolation rooms, including a recompression chamber, along with cabins for medical personnel. Related, those cabins alternately can accommodate security and logistics personnel or pilots.
Finally, the catamaran configuration is purpose-driven. Although Shadowcat hasn’t revealed specific performance figures, it does say that high speeds are possible. The twin hulls also provide stability in a variety of sea conditions. Additionally, the support craft, from helicopters to tenders, can launch and retrieve in significant seas.
Shadowcat theshadowcat.com
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