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A partnership with the renowned motor company will help make naval vessels stealthier in the water.

A press release from the US navy's Office of Naval Research detailed the debut of the advanced electric-ship demonstrator (AESD) ship SEA JET, in Bayview, Idaho. The ship uses waterjet technology, codenamed AWJ-21, created by Rolls-Royce to make ships faster and stealthier.

While this isn't quite the invisibility of the urban legends surrounding the USS Eldridge and the Philadelphia Experiment, a vessel that can move through the water with a measure of stealth with regards to technologies like sensors and weapons tracking systems would have a combat edge.

The vessel measures 133 feet in length, and was assembled in Washington State in modules. Those modules were then transported to Idaho for reassembly. Built on an advanced destroyer frame, the Navy intends for the AESD to be a significant upgrade to the existing Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers.

Work on the project has been going on for several years, with the Navy disclosing last year the AWJ-21 system would be ready for testing. As far as invisibility goes, according to the Navy, ships being degaussed could evade the notice of magnetic mines, but not radar, sonar, or the human eye.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.