Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure
Encyclopedia
Boarding (attack)
Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
actions and tactics, designed to capture enemy vessels, to combat terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
, piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
and smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
, and to conduct customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
, safety and other inspections, as employed by modern navies
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, marine and maritime services, military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
forces.
United States Navy training
United States NavyUnited 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...
training begins with non-lethal-weapons
Less-lethal weapon
Non-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than are conventional weapons...
(NLW) training and handling including withstanding OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) "pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
" and then moves on to Security Reaction Force-Basic (SRF-B), Security Reaction Force-Advanced (SRF-A), and VBSS. The initial training continuum includes three courses lasting a total of eight weeks, with some team members receiving additional follow-on training. Skills taught in the VBSS Close Quarters Battle (CQB) courses include tactical movement and shooting, defensive tactics, rappelling, searching, and other team skills. Some units, known as Helicopter Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (HVBSS) teams have been trained to fast rope aboard vessels from helicopters.
Regular sailors in the Navy are eligible to serve aboard VBSS teams depending on the ship's command structure. The majority of US Naval ships that deploy VBSS teams are smaller ships such as guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
s, guided missile frigates, etc. VBSS teams are used to combat illegal narcotics and arms trafficking and piracy.
USN VBSS teams are generally armed with Mk 18
CQBR
The Close Quarters Battle Receiver is a replacement upper receiver for the M4A1 Carbine. The CQBR replaces the M4 with a barrel 10.3 in length making it the modern equivalent of the Colt Commando short-barrel M16 variants of the past....
or M4 carbine
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
s as well as Mossberg 500
Mossberg 500
Mossberg 500 is a series of shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless, pump action repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore size, barrel length, choke options, magazine capacity, and...
shotguns and Beretta M9 pistols
M9 Pistol
The Beretta M9, formally Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol of the United States military adopted in 1985. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later the 92FS....
. The body armor is generally of the kevlar, law enforcement type with ballistic plate inserts and a buoyant tactical vest that doubles as a life preserver
Personal flotation device
A personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...
.
United States Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
is another service that commonly responds to VBSS scenarios. Law enforcement boarding teams from cutters and stations are generally armed with SIG P229 pistols, Remington M870P
Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...
shotguns, and M16 rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
s. Additionally, the Coast Guard has a number of specialized units within its Deployable Operations Group
Deployable Operations Group
The Deployable Operations Group is a United States Coast Guard command that provides properly equipped, trained and organized Deployable Specialized Forces to Coast Guard, DHS, DoD and inter-agency operational and tactical commanders...
that have advanced boarding capabilities.
See also
- Military operations other than warMilitary operations other than warMilitary Operations Other Than War focus on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. The phrase and acronym was coined by the United States military during the 1990s, but it has since fallen out of use. The UK military...
(MOOTW) - Maritime Security OperationsMaritime Security OperationsMaritime Security Operations is a term for the actions of modern naval forces to "combat sea–based terrorism and other illegal activities, such as hijacking, piracy, and slavery, also known as human trafficking." Ships assigned to such operations may also assist seafaring vessels in distress...
(MSO) - Maritime Interdiction OperationsMaritime Interdiction OperationsMaritime Interdiction Operations are naval conducted operations, that aim to delay, disrupt, or destroy enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area before they do any harm against friendly forces, similar to Air Interdiction Operations....
(MIO)
External links
- (USS) Paul Hamilton Completes Hands-on Search and Seizure Training US Navy
- Vessel Board Search & Seizure (VBSS) Images RIMPAC 2006
- U.S., Canadian Navies Challenge Skills Military.com
- Royal Navy Boarding’s Clamp down on Illegal Activities at Sea VBSS action to clamp down on fuel smuggling.