Naval special operations and sabotage are still one of the most effective types of combat operations of special forces. Low costs, almost complete "invisibility", secrecy of movement - all this makes it possible to inflict sudden damage to the enemy. All this applies to intelligence operations. Action and counteraction at important sea-based facilities, for example, oil and gas production platforms, are included in the scope of marine special forces. At present, it is the naval special forces that have begun to be involved in countering operations against pirates and terrorists. The demand for marine special units has led to an increased demand for equipment and technical equipment to support them.
First commando
The beginning of the naval special forces in the US Navy comes from the hero of the war of the North and South, Lieutenant William Cushing. His longboat at night in 1864, on the Roanoke River, stealthily approached the Confederate battleship Albemarle. At close range, the Confederates spotted an approaching vessel and sounded the alarm. But Lieutenant W. Cushing, who was only 21 at the time, was not taken aback. Having dispersed his launch and leaping over the barrage of the boom, he struck the side of the battleship with a pole mine. The battleship went to the bottom. Six months before this event, the other side made a very spectacular sinking of the Severnykh corvette. On a submarine, consisting of a steam boiler, and manpower driven under water, they approached the corvette and used a pole mine. But since the history was written by the winners, W. Cashing received the laurels of the first special forces soldier.
US vehicles for maritime special operations
In the United States, for SEAL special forces, the simplest floating craft is a canoe. And although it is somewhat reminiscent of an Indian canoe and is powered in the same way, it is a modern solution made of extra strong, lightweight polymers. Main purpose - use in swampy and shallow water areas. They are often used to transport various cargoes by special forces. Such canoes are produced not only by small firms and companies, but even by such giants as Northrop Grumman.
The next one of the most common watercraft is various motorized rigid inflatable boats - "RHIB". The unofficial name is "Zodiac", which came into use from the name of the French company of the same name, which was the first to build a boat of this type for the domestic traveler A. Bombard. Such small boats have a hull in the shape of a deep V. It is made of a wooden base, aluminum alloys and synthetic materials. An inflatable “collar” is worn on the sides, which makes the boat unsinkable. Mostly powerful outboard or stationary motors are used as a propeller. Such "RHIB" - the standard floating craft of the American naval units. About 70 varieties of "RHIB", produced by the American company "United States Marine", are used not only in the US Navy, but also in many other countries and their special forces.
Main characteristics:
- length 10.95 meters;
- width 3.2 meters;
- draft 90 centimeters;
- weight 78.9 kilograms;
- diesel engine "Caterpillar" with a capacity of 940 hp;
- speed of 45 knots;
- economy speed 33 knots for 370 kilometers.
The rigid body is made of lightweight Kevlar and fiberglass alloys. In the central part there is a control department, where instruments and equipment for navigation and communication are located. A radar antenna is located on a low mast, it is possible to mount additional equipment on it, such as lighting lamps and observation devices. The "RHIB" team is three people - the commander and the sailors - the shooters. In the bow and stern of the boat is located along the firing point - large-caliber weapons on three-legged machines. Such boats can independently support a special group of commandos with fire or suppress coastal points or enemy boats. RHIB's capacity is 8 people in full equipment. The commando fits comfortably in cushioned seats. Such chairs, by the way, are much more comfortable than the seats of an airliner. The commandos, after being transported by sea on such boats, remain fully operational.
Another floating craft for the elite naval special forces is the Mk V type boats. The US Navy has 20 units of such boats.
Main characteristics:
- displacement 75 tons;
- length 25 meters;
- width 5.1 meters;
- draft 1.5 meters;
- 2 diesel MTU engines with a capacity of 4.7 thousand hp;
- capacity of 16 people;
- speed of 35 knots;
- cruising range of 1100 kilometers;
- additional equipment 4 motor boats.
From boats with the help of drones, reconnaissance of a given area or object can be carried out. When performing large-scale operations, such boats are control points. Depending on the tasks performed, the boat is equipped with various weapons. 12 of these boats have the first squadron of US special purpose boats, 8 boats have a second squadron. With the help of C-5 "Galaxy" aircraft, boats can be airlifted to a predetermined area for operations. Recently, such boats have appeared on the Black Sea, where, most likely, they carry out reconnaissance tasks off the Russian coast.
Vehicles of England for Marine Special Operations
British naval special forces also use boats of the "Zodiac" type, but with more modest characteristics. The main floating craft are RIB modifications from VT Halmatic. Capacity 10-15 people, speed up to 30 knots, range 100 miles. Some modifications have large-caliber weapons. The British also tried to create boats of the "Mk V" type for their special forces. Initially, Halmatic built an interceptor type 145 FIC. The body was made of composite material, and Kevlar with balsa wood was present in the body. It had: a length of 14.5 meters, a width of 2.8 meters, a draft of 1.3 meters, a displacement of 9 tons, a speed of up to 60 knots.
This decision is being replaced by an original boat of the VSV type. The hull of the boat is made in the shape of "cutting the wave". For a long time, the British military hid the presence of such boats in service. But during the conduct of the NATO VMF off the Norwegian coast, the VSV boat for some reason flew to the stone coast, where reporters managed to photograph it. The boat is built with a low silhouette, which increases its stealth at sea. The team and members of the special forces are located in the cockpit in the middle of the boat. The Americans have long known about the use of such a boat by the British and tried to create such a tool themselves, but it seems that the test results did not impress them and such boats were not reported to the US Navy. But the German company "Lurssen" has created boats of a similar type for the Indonesian Navy. Indonesia is armed with 10 units of boats of the "VSV" type. Main characteristics:
- speed of 55 knots;
- length 16 meters;
- width 2.6 meters;
- draft 1 meter;
- displacement 11 tons;
Another boat project was developed by VT Halmatic - a boat of the “Belle” type, which translates as “Beauty”. The boat lives up to its name and looks very elegant and harmonious. The upper part of the boat is made according to modern stealth parameters. The exhaust pipes of the engines are equipped with devices for reducing infrared radiation. In the boat for members of the spetsnaz there are chairs with shock absorption. The internal climate is maintained by air conditioners. The boat can be transported to the specified area of action by C-130 Hercules aircraft. The boat is equipped with modern navigation, communication and detection equipment. The first boat was received by the British Royal Marine Special Forces of the Marines in 2006. Now, England has 4 Belle boats. Main characteristics:
- capacity for 10 people;
- payload 2.5 tons;
- average speed 45 knots;
- DU - 2 diesel engines "MAN".
- length 18 meters;
- speed of 60 knots;
- cruising range 600 miles;
Submarine and submarine-surface means of transportation of special forces
Submarine means for carrying out secret special operations by commando units are the priority for today. Some submarines in the United States have mini-submarine compartments - DDS. They house mini-submarines of the SDV Mk III type. These submarines are made according to the "wet" type. That is, such a submarine accommodates a commando in diving suits, and is, in fact, an underwater towing vehicle. The submarine's cruising range is 19 miles, the energy source is silver-zinc type batteries. It has an electric motor of 18 hp. The speed is 9 knots. The characteristics of the boat do not shine, so the development of a more modern mini-submarine began. The project was named "ASDS". In 2001, the first ASDS-class submarine entered the US Navy for testing. The submarine was created of a dry type. The submarine was equipped with 4 thrusters, which improved the maneuverability characteristics. Carriers - submarines "Greeneville" and "Charlotte" of the "Improved Los Angeles" class. And the Ohio-class strategic submarines should have 2 ASDS units on board. It is possible to transport the submarine to a given area by plane C-5 "Galaxy". Main characteristics:
- capacity up to 16 people;
- range of 230 kilometers;
- length 19.8 meters;
- displacement 55 tons;
- a team of two people;
The Oregon Iron Work company produces boats of the Sealion type for marine special forces. This is a semi-displacement boat. The narrow hull in the bow part smoothly turns into a sharp tetrahedron.. The small superstructure ends with a sloped stern. The boat is somewhat similar to a dagger. The main idea is the use of ballast tanks, which, if necessary, are filled with water, and the boat almost entirely goes under water. Above the sea surface, about twenty centimeters of the superstructure remain for monitoring the situation. We can say that "Sealion" is a semi-submersible boat for fast movement to a given target. The United States has exported similar submarines to Singapore. Changes to the sub - Modified the aft part of the setup. In the field of creating such ships, the recognized leaders of the DPRK and Iran. Iran is building such facilities using North Korean technologies. Of course, such boats are inferior to American submarines in many respects. Main characteristics:
- length 21 meters;
- capacity for 8 people;
- speed of 40 knots;
- technologies used "Stealth";
- additional equipment - 2 motor boats.
But even semi-submerged boats do not always suit the special forces, nevertheless, even in this state, it can be detected. To minimize the possibility of enemy detection to a minimum, STIDD Systems offers the latest project MRCC, an innovative commando craft. "MRCC" is made in the form of a multifunctional platform - a high-speed boat, a semi-submerged craft and a mini-submarine. Platform team of 2 people. Now "MRCC" is undergoing various tests and it is not yet known whether it will go into service with the American commandos or not. Now the main drawback is obvious - "wet" delivery of special forces in all positions, but no one has yet come up with an ideal tool, so something has to be sacrificed for broad conditions of use.
Main characteristics:
- length 32.5 feet;
- DU diesel with a power of 435 hp, 2 electric motors;
- surface speed 32 knots;
- underwater speed 5 knots;
- capacity for 6 people or 0.8 tons of cargo;
- range of 200 miles.
Something similar was created by the "DCE" designers for the Swedish commandos - the SDV project. It differs from "MRCC" by the presence of 4 electric motors for underwater running, minor changes in the design of the body.
Main characteristics:
- length 10.3 meters;
- surface speed 30.5 knots;
- underwater speed 5 knots;
- payload 1 ton.
Aerosipes for transporting special forces
Now the development of a new commando transport is in full swing, which will be able not only to dive and swim, but also to fly. The development of such an apparatus is carried out by "DAPRA", this concept has already been proposed for consideration by companies ready to design and build such a technically complex hybrid.
Basic requirements for aeroship:
- flight range over 1800 kilometers;
- cruising range on the surface of 185 kilometers;
- cruising range under water 22 kilometers;
- capacity for 8 people or 0.9 tons;
- time spent under water 8 hours.
There have already been attempts in the United States to build an aeroship. Flying hybrid "Conveir" 64 years old, could be a breakthrough in this area, but violent resistance to this project by Senator A. Elendra closed the necessary funding, and the hybrid was not created. And now the idea of airships has revived again, let's hope that modern technology will make this task less difficult than it seems.
Amphibians for special forces
Floating vehicles have been used for special operations and landing troops since the Second World War. The amphibians have one important drawback in common - the low speed of overcoming water obstacles. For example, the well-known "LARC-5", which has the ability to transfer two dozen people, overcomes water obstacles at a speed of 16 km / h.
In the 1960s, the United States tried to create an amphibious hydrofoil. Two prototypes of this type of equipment were created - "LVHX-1", which had fully submerged hydrofoils with automatic control and "LVHX-2", which had a front crossing wing and a fully submerged rear controlled wing. The estimated speed of overcoming water obstacles is 65/84 km / h. But on tests, amphibians showed that they are more machines than amphibious vehicles - constant problems with hydraulics, manual folding of the wings and many other problems led to the fact that these amphibians were abandoned. But this area is interesting enough for the military and the development of amphibians continued. Now Gibbs Technologies has offered the Humdinga amphibious vehicle and the Quadski amphibious ATV to equip SEAL commandos.
The amphibious "Humdinga" type has a 4x4 wheel arrangement and is equipped with a 350 hp engine. Ground speed up to 160 km / h, surface speed 64 km / h. Capacity 5 people. Amphibious "Quadski" is designed for 2 people, but its speed is 72 km / h both on land and on water. The transition to the use of the water-ground mode is done by simply turning on the button. The wheels of the ATV in the water version are recessed in special "haws" and become ship anchors. When driving on water at high speed, the wheels do not interfere with movement and do not reduce speed. ATVs have sparked healthy interest in American commandos. After a series of tests, the company was asked to modify the car together with the main military contractor Lockheed Martin. Three high-speed amphibians are currently being developed: the ACC / E based on the Humdinga as an expedition vehicle and the amphibious vehicle based on the Quadski ATV - ACC / R.
