FROM THE SEA

Water is the most demanding and unforgiving element to work in or on. A Navy commando needs to be physically and mentally prepared to face the unpredictable twists and turns that Mother Nature and Murphy conspire to throw at him. Navy commandos also require durable and proven equipment, which enables them to project their power and unique talents from a launch platform onto enemy land or harbors. 

SEALs depend on a large inventory of surface craft to transport them to their target. They also have, at their disposal, subsurface SEAL Delivery Vehicles that are launched from Dry Deck Shelters. This section will review some of the unclassified boats and dive gear used in the Teams.

NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE COMBATANT CRAFT

Surface craft of all sizes and for all sorts of missions - from littoral warfare to SEAL insertion - are maintained by NSW Combatant Craft crewmen. SEAL platoons also use rubber zodiacs for over-the-hoizon infiltration, along with several other tools of the trade that are exhibited here.

SUBSURFACE WARFARE

When the UDT finally embraced Lambertsen's Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU), they did it with gusto. The U.S. Navy SEALs have since performed extensive testing and experimentation of the use of dive gear in a combat role. 

SEAL members acted subjects for early Experimental Dive Unit tests, which aided in the development of the U.S. Navy Dive tables for both open and closed circuit diving. In conjunction with their French counterparts, the SEALs developed the tactics and skills for combat diving and underwater navigation that have been adopted as the "industry standard" by Naval Commandoes from around the world. The British Special Boat Squadron, the elite Naval component to the legendary Special Air Service (SAS), uses the SEAL Delivery Vehicles. These vehicles are so versatile and sturdy that they have been almost unchanged since their development in the early eighties. This year they underwent a major upgrade, particularly in the navigation, propulsion and sonar systems. We will take a look at all of this gear in this section as the site grows.

SURFACE CRAFT

Delivering SEALs to their objective is the mission of these craft and the crewmen who operate them. Each craft detailed here has a unique capability. Long-range transit, Open water and Littoral special operations and riverine insertion are just a few. These boats get the SEALs where they need to go provide support while on a mission and get them back to safety again. They are an integral part of the Naval Special Warfare package.

Mark V The versatile, high-performance Mark V combatant craft is used by U.S. Navy SEALs for missions such as medium-range insertion/extraction limited coastal patrol and interdiction. The Mark V Special Operations Craft is capable of being transported by C-5 aircraft.

CRRC (Combat Rubber Raiding Craft) 15-foot Zodiac. A heavily reinforced rubber inflatable boat. Used by SEAL and SDV platoons for over the horizon transits and insertion/extraction over beaches and in riverine operations. Light and easily handled by a squad, the CRRC can also be bundled and sent out of a C-130 under canopy - called a "rubber duck".

MATC

Mini-Armored Troop Carrier: 36-foot aluminum surface craft. Designed for high-speed patrol, interdiction, and combat assault missions in rivers, harbors and protected coastal areas. Big enough to transport fully equipped SEALs quickly. Uses water jet propulsion. The craft is equipped with seven organic weapon stations and a hydraulic bow ramp for facilitating insertion and extraction of troops and equipment. This craft is used extensively on the waterways of South and Central America in the fight against drugs.

RIB - Ridged Inflatable Boat: An extremely fast and equally cool inflatable boat with a solid hull. Two versions are in operation, a 24 and 30-foot high buoyancy extreme weather craft. Primarily used for insertion and extraction of SEAL tactical elements onto enemy occupied beaches. The 30-foot version utilizes the water jet propulsion system allowing for the beaching of the craft and close to the beach work if the SEAL platoon requires fire support.

PBL

Patrol Boat Light: A Boston Whaler type 25-foot boat, non-armored. Constructed of fiberglass with a reinforced transom and gun mounts. Powered by dual outboard motors. Its shallow draft, speed, maneuverability and gun capacity make it ideal for riverine operations. Mounted guns can include .50 caliber heavy machine guns or 7.62mm machine guns with a 180-degree line of sight. Not recommended for engaging a heavily armed or well-organized enemy.

PBR

Patrol Boat River: This 32-foot boat was put into service during the Vietnam War. Over five hundred were built and valued for their speed, maneuverability, stealth and protection in contested waters. Several of these remain in the NSW inventory, but are used mostly for training and support purposes.

Sea Spectre Patrol Boat MKIV: A 68-foot deep-water cruiser designed to spend days on patrol. Heavy Fire powered by 25 and 40mm machine guns and a 81mm mortar artillery mount.

PB MKIII

Patrol Boat MK III: A coastal and wide bay weapons platform. Capable of fire suppression of both shore and afloat targets. This craft brings to bear an impressive array of fire power including a
40mm cannon.

PC - Patrol Coastal Class: Cyclone class special operations vessel. This is the only craft in the NSW inventory that crosses the boundary between boats and ships. The PC is a ship, commanded by a LCDR Surface Warfare Officer. It carries a squad of SEALs and two CRRC's. It sports a bounding 170-foot steel over aluminum superstructure. This ship is designed for off shore support of special operations forces in low intensity conflict environments. It is capable of steaming over long distances unsupported by the fleet and is intended for coastal interdiction as well as SEAL insertion.

Equipment Information provided by NavySEALs.com ©2004