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 role of the these types of operations would be both offensive and defensive. Conventional navies have used small craft for hit-and-run type attacks and raids on enemy ships, shore line and port facilities as far back as World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 (the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 e-boats) and recent as the Iran–Iraq War.

Following suicide attacks on warships by terrorists such as in the Sri Lankan Civil War

Sri Lankan civil war

The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...

 and the USS Cole bombing

USS Cole bombing

The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...

, navies have adapted specialized crafts to maintain port security, patrol coastal and river line areas.

Crafts types

• Rigid Raider
  Rigid Raider
  The Rigid Raider is a series of fast patrol/assault boat made by RTK Marine, a subsidiary of Halmatic . They are in service with many armed forces, including the Royal Marines, the SBS and Royal Engineers...
  
  
• Arrow boat
  Arrow boat
  Arrow is a series of fast patrol/assault speed boat made by the Sri Lanka Navy for use by its littoral warfare units, the elite Special Boat Squadron and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron . The boat is capable of achieving high speeds and is highly maneuverable, meeting the requirements of these...
  
  

Units

• 1 Assault Group Royal Marines
  1 Assault Group Royal Marines
  1 Assault Group Royal Marines provides the Royal Marines expertise and training in small boat operations both amphibious and riverine. In addition it trains and parents the Assault Squadrons of the Royal Marines and their Landing Craft detachments...
  
  
• 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...
  
  
• Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen
  Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen
  -History:Special Boat Teams can trace their history back to World War II. Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three rescued General Douglas MacArthur from the Philippines after the Japanese invasion and then participated in guerrilla actions until American resistance ended with the fall of Corregidor...