Would be interested to have opinions from any MPA types as to how useful this capability would be.
for the UK - useless.
these vehicles are designed to operate in the low sea states typically found in enclosed small seas (think Black Sea/Baltic and the like).
It could apparently take off in 5m waves, or up to Beaufort 6-7, so far less weather limited than a seaplane.
These are not proper measures of sea state, which is a combination of swell (often generated by weather systems hundreds of miles away) and waves produced by local wind. On an average day in the North Atlantic a "confused" sea state 4-5 will see a twenty foot swell in one direction and ten foot waves in another direction. I doubt these beasts will go anywhere in those sea conditions. Check out the images of wing in ground effect vehicles on Google. Every single one, without exception, (of real photos, not cartoons) is operating over a flat calm or mildly rippled sea (sea state 0-1). You'll see those conditions in the North Atlantic two or three days a year
Plus, it might look quick but compared to high level transit it'll take forever to get on task.
Plus, massively vulnerable (big, slow, can't turn etc) so will only operate in benign air combat conditions (another reason they are for littoral use only).
Plus, that's putting a huge amount of noise in the water. Any decent towed array is hearing that thing coming well before it arrives.
Plus it has no horizon for
comms
radar
sonobuoy coverage
I could go on, but I think you get the message.
A hybrid version that can do a bit of medium level sounds suspiciously like a flying boat to me....