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) replaces the current rigid inflatable boat (RIB) and the MKV (retired in FY12). This 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. • 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. The current solution for Combatant Craft Heavy is the Sea, Air, and Land Insertion, Observation and Neutralization (SEALION) that was developed as an advanced technology demonstrator by the United States Navy and has been modified and tested for transition to SOF operations. The CCH will provide medium range insertion capability for SOF personnel in a low to high threat environment. 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.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2015
• Source ID: S1684_1160484BB_7_0400_PB_2015

Tags

Readers

• Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
• Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.