Arrow boat - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Arrow is a series of fast patrol/assault speed boat made by the Sri Lanka Navy for use by its littoral

Littoral

The littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...

warfare units, the elite Special Boat Squadron

Special Boat Squadron

The Special Boat Squadron is the Sri Lanka Navy's elite special forces unit. It forms part of the Sri Lanka Special Forces, alongside the Commando Regiment , Special Forces Regiment, and SLAF Special Forces...

(SBS) and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron

Rapid Action Boat Squadron

The Rapid Action Boat Squadron is a force element squadron of the Sri Lanka Navy that provides expertise in small boat operations in support of littoral operations, amphibious and riverine activities...

(RABS). The boat is capable of achieving high speeds and is highly maneuverable, meeting the requirements of these units in small boat operations

Small boat operations

Small boat operations in military and naval warfare refers to operations in and around the littoral zone, within a certain distance of shore, carried out by small but fast and highly maneuverable crafts. In recent years small unmanned systems have been tested for use in this kind of warfare.The...

. Armed with an autocannon

Autocannon

An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...

or automatic grenade launcher

Automatic grenade launcher

An automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun is a grenade launcher firing rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine. They can be attached to a tripod. Automatic launchers include the Vektor Y3, AGS-17, and the HK GMG, which all fire at a higher velocity...

as its primary weapon system and multiple machine guns, the Arrow boats provides relatively high firepower despite its small size. It is also used by the navy for inshore monitoring operations.

Development

According to the requirements of its elite unit the SBS, for a fast and maneuverable boat with high firepower, the navy developed the first prototype of the Arrow in 2006. The prototype was completed within a month. The tests carried out with this prototype were successful. Production was begun immediately after this, and the boats were deployed soon after. The navy produces the Arrow at a unit cost of Rs. 1.7 million (US$ 17,000).
http://lankadailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/arrow-boats-sri-lanka-navy.jpg

Design

The Arrow boat is powered by a single 200 bhp outboard motor. Another variant of the boat, fitted with two outboard motors is also developed. The body is made of strengthened fiberglass

Fiberglass

Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...

. The boat is 18 feet (5.49 m) long. No armour is provided, with the intention of keeping the boat light enough to meet the primary requirements of speed and maneuverability.

Armament

A 23mm autocannon

Autocannon

is used as the primary weapon of the Arrow boat, mounted on the forward end. In some variants, this is replaced by an automatic grenade launcher

Grenade launcher

A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....

. As the secondary armament, several PKM

PK machine gun

The PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...

7.62mm machine guns are used, fixed on each side of the boat.

Operational history

The Arrow boat is in service with the Sri Lanka Navy’s Special Boat Squadron

Special Boat Squadron

since it’s development in 2006. From mid 2008, it is also issued to the newly created Rapid Action Boat Squadron

Rapid Action Boat Squadron

. The Arrow boat has been used widely by the Sri Lanka Navy against the LTTE’s Sea Tigers

Sea Tigers

The Sea Tigers was the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the Sri Lankan Civil War. It was founded in 1984. The Sea Tigers had a number of small but effective suicide bomber vessels. During its existence it had gained a reputation as a capable adversary for the Sri Lankan Navy...

in Eelam War IV

Eelam War IV

Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries . Renewed hostilities began on the July 26, 2006 when Sri Lanka Air...

The 100th Arrow

The 100th Arrow boat was launched by the Sri Lanka Navy on 11 September, 2008. A ceremony was held at the navy base SLNS Gemunu at Welisara to mark this event, presided by the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, RWP, RSP, psc, GR is a retired officer of the Sri Lanka Army and the current Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka. After serving through the early parts of the country's civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels, he retired from the Army in 1992...

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