The small unit riverine craft (SURC) is rigid-hull, armed and armored patrol boat used by the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy to maintain control of rivers and inland waterways. They are similar in size and purpose to the much older Patrol Boat, River vessels used during the Vietnam War.
According to the Navy, “The primary mission of the SURC is to provide tactical mobility and a limited weapons platform for the ground combat element of a Marine Air Ground Task Force in littoral and riverine environments.”[1] The boat’s secondary mission includes “command and control, reconnaissance, logistic/resupply, medevac, counter-drug operations, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping, and noncombatant evacuation operations.”[1]
The boat is transportable by C-130 Hercules aircraft and can be launched from its trailer at lakeside.
The boats were first deployed to Iraq and are currently in use there by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The United States Navy Riverine Squadrons, units of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) are using the boats to patrol strategic areas of Iraq.
The boats are built by Raytheon Naval & Maritime Integrated Systems, with a contract to build up to 100 boats. Raytheon’s contract partners are Safe Boats International of Port Orchard, Washington and Boat Master of Fort Myers, Florida.
Contents |
| Hull Type: | Aluminum with full length beaching plates |
| Collars: | High strength solid cell foam collar provides stability, redundant buoyancy, and small-arms ballistic protection |
| Length: | 38 ft (12 m) (with transom platform) |
| Beam: | 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) (collars removable for C-130 transport) |
| Draft: | 24 in (0.61 m) static |
| Displacement: | 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) combat load |
| Weight: | 17,500 lb (7,900 kg) craft and trailer |
| Propulsion: | Twin Yanmar 6LY2A-STP diesel engines, 440 bhp (330 kW) at 3300 RPM; Twin Hamilton waterjets HJ292 Fuel: JP-5, JP-8, and marine diesel |
| Speed: | 35 knots (65 km/h) cruise, 39 knots (72 km/h) sprint |
| Acceleration: | Accelerate to 25 knots (46 km/h) in less than 15 seconds |
| Turning: | Turn 180 degrees in less than three boat lengths |
| Range: | Greater than 250 nm |
| Crew: | 2 |
| Capacity: | 16 troops |
| Weapons: | 3 mounts for heavy machine gun and smoke launchers |
| Ballistic protection: | Propulsion system armored against mobility kill |
| Navigation: | Ritchie magnetic compass Integrated AN/PSN-11 GPS (PLGR) Raymarine SL72 LCD radar ST 60 depth sounder |
| Communications: | Raymarine RAY53 VHF marine band radio SINCGARS (VHF tactical) radio and AN/VIC-3 internal stations |