Surface Craft
Abstract
This project provides for engineering and manufacturing development of medium and heavy surface combatant craft, combatant craft mission equipment, and pre-planned product improvement (P3I) and technology insertion engineering changes 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 maritime craft and subsystems. The craft capabilities and unique equipment provide small, highly trained forces the ability to successfully engage the enemy and conduct operations associated with SOF maritime missions. Sub-projects include: • Combatant Craft Medium Mk 1 (CCM): This sub-project is a semi-enclosed, low-observable, multi-mission combatant craft for platoon-size maritime mobility in maritime denied environments. It is multi-mission capable, including Maritime Interdiction, Insert / Extract, and Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) Operations. CCM is Naval Special Warfare’s (NSW) craft-of-choice for long-range, high-payload SOF mobility operations in denied environments up to high threat. CCM has NSW’s best Iron Triangle: 40 knot (kt) speed; 4 crew + 19 passengers (pax) / 10,000 pound (lb) payload; and 600 nautical miles (nm) range. CCM Mk 1 payload capacity enables inclusion of shock mitigating seats, which is critical for ride quality, operator tactical readiness, and operator health. At 60 feet long, CCM is C-17 / C5 transportable and can launch/recover by well deck or shore based trailer. • Combatant Craft Heavy (CCH): This sub-project represents a family of solutions that provides platoon-size maritime surface mobility. The current CCH is the Sea, Air, Land Insertion, Observation, and Neutralization (SEALION) craft. SEALION is a fully-enclosed, climate-controlled, low-observable, semi-submersible craft that operates in denied environments up to high-threat. SEALION is NSW’s most versatile and survivable combatant craft and the craft-of-choice for sensitive maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions and those missions requiring a prolonged presence in denied environments. Its clandestine mobility capability is only exceeded by an undersea craft. Iron Triangle: 40 kt speed; 7 crew + 12 pax / 3,300 lb payload; and 400 nm range. SEALION payload capacity enables inclusion of shock mitigating seats, which is critical for ride quality, operator tactical readiness, and operator health. At 77+ feet long, SEALION is C-17/C-5 transportable and can launch/recover by well deck or shore based mobile travel lift or crane. • Next Generation Combatant Craft Forward Looking Infrared Radar (NG CCFLIR): The CCFLIR capability provides SOF with a multi-sensor, electro-optic system that enhances SOF effectiveness by improving their ability to detect, recognize, identify, range, track, and highlight objects of interest in a maritime environment. The NG CCFLIR will use technological advancements to gain significant improvements in capability such as operational range, image fusion, net-centric data sharing, information assurance, and seamless craft and combat systems integration. • Combatant Craft Mission Equipment (CCME): This sub-project (previously Next Generation Surface Systems) provides a rapid response capability to support SOF combatant craft systems, subsystems, and their emerging requirements. CCME provides technology refresh efforts to correct system deficiencies, improve asset life, and enhance mission capability. Demonstrations and modifications may be made to support emerging capability enhancements such as, but not limited to, conformal antennas, identification friend-or-foe capabilities, enhanced communications, weapon integration, software refresh, and navigation subsystems in support of future missions. Solutions to these emerging requirements may be commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), leveraged from other Government agencies , or new solutions. • Combatant Craft Assault (CCA): This sub-project is a National-to-Theater transition. The CCA is the theater version of the High Speed Assault Craft. The CCA is a low-observable combatant craft for squad-size maritime mobility operations in maritime denied environments. CCA is NSW’s best craft for VBSS in maritime denied environments up to and including medium threat. It is the craft-of-choice for maritime interdiction and boarding operations because of the open deck space, maneuverability, and interoperability with an Afloat Forward Staging Base. Iron Triangle: 40 kt speed; 3 crew + 12 pax / 5,000 lb payload; and 300 nm range. At 41 feet long, CCA is air transportable by C-130 / C-17 / C-5 and can launch/recover by crane, davit, well deck, or shore based trailer. • Threat Awareness System (TAS): This sub-project provides SOF with an Electronic Intelligence capability for enhanced force protection of SOF in Maritime denied environments by allowing them to identify and avoid enemy detection capabilities. TAS will utilize technological advancements to gain significant improvements in capability such as miniaturization and marinization to enable seamless craft integration.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Source ID
- S1684_1160483BB_7_0400_PB_2018