Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB) were developed in the late 1960s and were originally designed for the lifeboat role. Development took place at the Atlantic College in Wales, and the patent was awarded to Admiral Desmond Hoare in 1969. Rigid fiberglass hull. The RIB is characterized by the fact that it allows the boat to meet sports and most military requirements with relative ease.
Ribs come in a variety of sizes, most ranging from 13 to 40 feet in length. In 1997, SOCOM hired the contractor USMI to manufacture the NSW RIB.
The US Navy SEALs then adopted the 11m RIB as their inflatable boat of choice. The hull is made of steel, wood and aluminum with fiberglass fairings for added strength. The hull design is planned with the seaplane for maximum performance in shallow water.
The inflatable collar is a durable fabric called Hypalon (Dupont), which is thicker than polyurethane. Bumper liners and bow skirt are made of 2 layers of Hypalon fabric for high wear areas in and around the boat.
The 11m boat has a standard crew of 3 including the captain and two gunners and can accommodate up to 10 extra passengers. Propulsion can be two outboard engines or an inboard waterjet stern drive up to 470 hp.
The boat is capable of handling 3,200 lbs (including fully equipped teams), has two gun racks, and can carry either a 7.62mm (0.30 cal) or 12.7mm (0.50 cal) M60 general purpose machine gun. Holds a Browning M2 heavy machine gun or a 40mm SACO MK 19 automatic grenade launcher.
Despite this impressive array of weapons, the "real" weapon the RIB has is its speed of 40 knots in "blue" or "brown" water and its survivability in severe weather conditions, capable of operating in sea state 46 Run section or more. Sea state 6 is a measure used by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and ranges from 0 (no waves in calm conditions) to 9 (waves over 14 meters in phenomenal conditions)
Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has nearly 50,000 personnel in U.S. Navy SEALs (SEa, Air and Land), U.S. Army Green Berets, U.S. Army Rangers, and U.S. Air Force Special Operations Squadron units - All deployed RIBs of various sizes.
Various missions of the SEALs send them to land areas around the world, but they always focus on the nearest water source. Their main task is to conduct stealth ground reconnaissance of targets before being attacked by regular forces.
With over 50% of the world's population living near rivers or oceans, SEALs need a lightweight, fast, all-weather aircraft with maximum buoyancy and C-130 transport capability - the RIB is for you.
- Blue Water Operations
- Fleet Support
- Hunter
- direct attack
- Professional/Practical
- Special Forces Support
35 feet (10.67 m)
10.6 ft (3.23 m)
2 feet (0.61 m)
9 tons
40kn (46mph)
249 nautical miles (287 mi; 462 km)
Combination of 12.7mm Browning M2 machine gun, 7.62mm M60 general purpose machine gun or 40mm Saco MK-19 grenade launcher. All personal weapons carried by the crew.
No.