Small unit riverine craft
Encyclopedia
Rigid buoyant boat
The rigid buoyant boat is a light-weight but high performance and high capacity boat. Based on the concept of a Rigid-hulled inflatable boat , it has a tube/sponson manufactured from a solid material such as moulded polyethylene or aluminium and therefore being much more robust than the fabrics...
, armed and armored patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
used by the U.S. Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to maintain control of rivers and inland waterways.
According to the Navy, “The primary mission of the SURC is to provide tactical mobility and a limited weapons platform for the ground combat element of a Marine Air Ground Task Force in littoral and riverine environments.” The boat’s secondary mission includes “command and control, reconnaissance, logistic/resupply, medevac, counter-drug operations, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping, and noncombatant evacuation operations.”
The boat is transportable by C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
aircraft and can be launched from its trailer at lakeside.
The boats were first deployed to Iraq and are currently in use there by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The United States Navy Riverine Squadron
United States Navy Riverine Squadron
The Riverine Squadrons of the United States Navy are elements of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command . According to the Navy: “The Navy’s Riverine force focuses on conducting Maritime Security Operations and Theater Security Cooperation in a riverine area of operations or other suitable area...
s, units of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the United States Navy's 40,000 expeditionary forces who are currently serving in every theater of operation. The NECC was...
(NECC) are using the boats to patrol strategic areas of Iraq.
The boats are built by Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
Naval & Maritime Integrated Systems, with a contract to build up to 100 boats. Raytheon’s contract partners are Safe Boats International of Port Orchard, Washington
Port Orchard, Washington
Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located 13 miles due west of West Seattle and connected to Seattle and Vashon Island via the Washington State Ferries run to Southworth...
and Boat Master of Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
.
General characteristics
| Hull Type: | Aluminum with full length beaching plates |
| Collars: | High strength solid cell foam collar provides stability, redundant buoyancy, and small-arms ballistic protection |
| Length: | 38 ft (11.6 m) (with transom platform) |
| Beam: | 10 in 2 in (3.1 m) (collars removable for C-130 transport) |
| Draft: | 24 in (0.6096 m) static |
| Displacement: | 22000 lb (9,979 kg) combat load |
| Weight: | 17500 lb (7,937.9 kg) craft and trailer |
| Propulsion: | Twin Yanmar Yanmar is a Japanese diesel engine manufacturer with more than 90 years of history. The engines are used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, construction equipment, agricultural equipment and generator sets.-Company description:... 6LY2A-STP diesel engines, 440 bhp at 3300 RPM; Twin Hamilton waterjets HJ292 Fuel: JP-5 JP-5 JP-5 or JP5 is a yellow, kerosene-based jet fuel developed in 1952 for use in aircraft stationed aboard aircraft carriers, where the risk from fire is particularly great. JP-5 is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, containing alkanes, naphthenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons that weighs and has a... , JP-8 JP-8 JP-8, or JP8 is a jet fuel, specified and used widely by the US military. It is specified by MIL-DTL-83133 and British Defence Standard 91-87, and similar to commercial aviation's Jet-A.... , and marine diesel |
| Speed: | 35 knots (68.6 km/h) cruise, 39 knots (72 km/h) sprint |
| Acceleration: | Accelerate to 25 knots (46 km/h) in less than 15 seconds |
| Turning: | Turn 180 degrees in less than three boat lengths |
| Range: | Greater than 250 nm |
| Crew: | 2 |
| Capacity: | 16 troops |
| Weapons: | 3 mounts for heavy machine gun and smoke launchers |
| Ballistic protection: | Propulsion system armored against mobility kill Mobility kill A mobility kill in armoured warfare refers to a weapon or vehicle that is immobilized, or the act of immobilizing such a target. Typically this term is used to refer to tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles that have their engines, tracks, or running gear damaged... |
| Navigation: | Ritchie magnetic compass Integrated AN/PSN-11 GPS (PLGR) Raymarine SL72 LCD radar ST 60 depth sounder |
| Communications: | Raymarine RAY53 VHF marine band radio SINCGARS SINCGARS SINCGARS is a Combat Net Radio currently used by U.S. and allied military forces. The radios, which handle voice and data communications, are designed to be reliable, secure and easily maintained... (VHF tactical) radio and AN/VIC-3 internal stations |
See also
- Combat Boat 90Combat Boat 90Combat Boat 90 is a class of fast military assault craft originally developed for the Swedish Navy by Dockstavarvet. In addition to the many variants in service with the Swedish Navy under the Strb 90 H designation, the CB 90 has been adopted by the navies of several countries, including Norway ,...
- Fast Patrol CraftFast Patrol CraftPatrol Craft Fast , also known as Swift Boats, were all-aluminum, long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the U.S. Navy, initially to patrol the coastal areas and later for work in the interior waterways as part of the Brown Water Navy to interdict Vietcong movement of arms and munitions,...
- United States Navy SEALSUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
- Special Warfare Combatant-craft CrewmenSpecial 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...