Surface Craft

Abstract

This project provides for engineering and manufacturing development, and operational systems development of light, medium, and heavy surface combatant craft and selected items of specialized equipment to meet the unique requirements of Special Operations Forces (SOF). This project also provides for pre-acquisition activities (materiel solutions analysis, advanced component development and prototypes) to quickly respond to new requirements for surface craft and equipment, such as the light and heavy combatant crafts that are currently being studied in the Joint Capabilities Integration Development System process. The craft capabilities and unique equipment provide small, highly trained forces the ability to successfully engage the enemy and conduct clandestine operations associated with SOF maritime missions. Sub-projects include: The Combatant Craft Medium (CCM) sub-project provides a family of next generation combatant craft to replace the current rigid inflatable boat (RIB) and the MKV. One version of these craft will be a reconfigurable, multi-mission surface tactical mobility craft with a primary mission of insertion and extraction of SOF in a medium threat environment. It will incorporate additional performance capabilities above current platform capabilities such as shock mitigation, low observability, improved maneuverability and SOF warfighting capabilities required to operate in future threat environments. Other variants of craft will be developed to support foreign security assistance missions and operations in low or permissive threat environments. These variants are dependent on the threat environment, training requirement, or mission. The Combatant Craft Heavy (CCH) sub-project represents a family of solutions that will provide engineering support for design and specification of a development combatant craft for movement and maneuver of SOF personnel. Requirements include maneuverability, reduced detectability with enhanced shock mitigation, and human systems integration. Potential solution for Combatant Craft Heavy is the Sea, Air, and Land Teams Insertion, Observation and Neutralization (SEALION) that was developed as an advanced technology prototype by the United States Navy and may be modified and tested for transition to SOF operations. Additional studies may be performed to support analysis of SOF-peculiar needs for an Afloat Staging Base to command, control, sustain, launch and recover Joint SOF. The Next Generation Combat Craft Forward Looking Infrared Radar (CCFLIR) sub-project provides SOF with daylight, high resolution, and additional spectrum imaging capabilities to augment existing optical and radar sensors. Technology insertion is needed to enhance the detection, recognition, identification, and tracking of small and near surface targets and ships. This program is an FY 2014 new start. The Next Generation Surface Systems (NGSRF) sub-project provides a rapid response capability to support SOF Combatant Craft Systems and subsystems. The NGSRF will explore solutions to support emerging requirements in support of SOF exercises and training for future missions. It provides technology refresh efforts to correct system deficiencies, improve asset life, and enhance mission capability through the means of feasibility studies, analyses of alternatives, pre-developmental risk reduction, and engineering analyses. Demonstrations and modifications may be made to support emerging capability enhancements such as but not limited to, weapons mounts, sensors, enhanced communications and navigation subsystems, and other minor modifications to craft in support of future missions. Solutions may be commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, other agency solutions or new solutions. This program is an FY 2014 new start.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2014
• Source ID: S1684_1160483BB_7_0400_PB_2014

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