Fast Boats, Piracy and the Global War on Terror

Written by Steve Goodman

 

The always-evolving world of maritime craft
assists boat warriors and their operations.

U.S. forces on the ground in these conflicts have risen to the occasion. The Army is employing new tactics, new thinking and a variety of special operations technologies from increased use of UAVs to sophisticated sniper counter measures. All are designed to combat insurgents armed primarily with small arms and employing terrorist tactics.

Still, when most people think of what has been described as this type of “irregular warfare” or “asymmetrical threat,” they think of the urban settings of Iran, the mountains of Afghanistan, or even the guerilla wars fought in the jungles of Vietnam. However, current events in the global war on terror and on the seas off of Somalia have shown that such conflicts are not limited to the land. No doubt the image of a 9,000-ton destroyer bearing down on a few pirates in a lifeboat during the recent rescue of the captain of the Maersk Alabama was impressive, and left little doubt as to the outcome. Yet the situation also clearly illustrated the Navy’s need for smaller, faster, cheaper ships to respond to these kinds of threats.

There is a perception that the Navy needs to play catch-up when it comes to asymmetrical warfare and counterinsurgency. John Patch, a retired Navy commander now teaching at the Army War College, has been quoted as saying, “Terrorism, insurgencies, eight years after 9/11, the U.S. Navy is still not built and equipped and trained to deal with them.”

But that’s not entirely true. The Navy has a long tradition of using small, fast craft for special ops, stretching as far back as JFK’s famous PT109.

THE TRADITION

The Navy currently deploys an elite unit of boat warriors known as Special Warfare Combatant Crewmembers (SWCC). According to the Navy, part of the mission of the “Swicks” is to “infiltrate and exfiltrate Navy SEALs on daring, clandestine missions” and to drive “high-performance state-of the-art combatant craft at 50 knots.”

The SWCC owes its lineage to Boat Support Unit One, and its PTFs (patrol torpedo, fast) to fast patrol boats used on the rivers of Vietnam. The year was 1961. We had yet to engage in open conflict with the North Vietnamese. But the CIA was already conducting a clandestine war supporting the South Vietnamese in the growing conflict. President Kennedy tasked the military to create “counterinsurgency forces to meet the irregular forces developing in the hot spots of the world.” It was this mandate that led to the creation of the Navy’s elite special ops unit, the SEALs, in 1962. As far as delivery of this “Sea, Air and Land” commando, the Navy had in its inventory air assets, numerous crafts, even submarines. But what they were lacking was a small, fast craft, ideally suited for the rivers of Vietnam. They turned to the venerable patrol torpedo (PT) boat, so important in WWII. The PTs went through several design changes and modifications that turned them into the faster PTFs. Ships designed and built specifically as PTFs in Norway were eventfully deployed. The PTFs were instrumental in the Vietnamese conflict. As the newly formed Naval Operations Support Group One (now Naval Special Warfare Group One), the missions of the PTFs included insertion and extraction of SEAL teams for recon, POW rescues and demolition raids, as well as insertion and extraction of covert agents. These fast boats of their time were also used for topographical mapping of North Vietnam and were valuable assets in the recovery of downed pilots. Yet perhaps their most crucial role was direct combat missions. Because of their speed and the ability to carry heavy armaments, the PTFs were a critical asset for shore bombardment and direct engagement with the North Vietnam navy.

The PTFs were used right up until the end of the Vietnamese conflict. Soon after, in 1978 Boat Support Unit One became Special Boat Unit-12. In 2002 it morphed into Special Boat Team 12. The Unit is currently located at Coronado Amphibious Base, San Diego, Calif.

According to the Department of Defense, between 1999 and 2002, SBT-12 executed 220 maritime interdiction operations, resulting in the seizure of 106,000 metric tons of prohibited oil under UN sanctions against Iraq. SBT-12’s SWCCs were the first of U.S. security forces on the scene of the terrorist attack on USS Cole in 2000.

In 2003 the SWCC and SEAL commandos of SBT-12 received an award for unparalleled success in support of naval special warfare during Operation Enduring Freedom. At the time, Commander Brent Jenkins, chief staff officer, Naval Special Warfare Group 3, said, “Our special boat teams maintain an incredible operational tempo, conducting missions on six continents during the war in Afghanistan, the global war on terrorism and in preparation for a host of contingency situations.”

Special Boat Team 12 employs a number of craft, including eight rigid hull inflatables (RIBs), but its primary SEAL delivery vehicle is the “fast boat,” the MK V combat craft.

THE MK V

The MK V was built by VT Halter Marine of Mississippi. Officially it is the MK V Special Operations Craft, or MK V SOC. It is also often referred to as the “Mark V.” It is one of the latest of the Navy’s SOCs and has been successfully deployed since the mid-1990s. Trinity Marine originally built the MK V. Trinity sold its Blue Water Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., to Halter Marine in 1996. Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, through its U.S. arm, Vision Technologies Kinetics Inc, purchased the assets of Halter Marine, the shipbuilding arm of U.S.-based Friede Goldman Halter Inc in 2002. The company became VT Halter Marine in 2002 and now is regarded as the marine operations of VT Systems. VT Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

The MK V’s primary mission is a medium-range insertion and extraction platform for SEALs and other special operations forces. The MKs are also used in coastal patrol situations and interdiction operations against drug traffickers and smugglers. The MK V and its two support craft are deployable via a USAF C-5 aircraft and can be in theater within 48 hours. The craft can carry up to four combat rubber raiding craft (CRRC) and can mount a number of weapons, including M2 .50 machine guns and MK19/MK47 40 mm grenade launchers. It’s said the MK V can achieve speeds of over 50 knots.

A NEED FOR CHANGE

Though proven in many successful missions, the MK V has not been without its issues, which has prompted USSOCOM to call for upgrades and modifications on many occasions.

In May 2007 SOCOM awarded a contract to Foster-Miller Inc. to provide a composite pilot house for the MK V. The award was in response to reports that “MK V SOC service failures have occurred where the windshield and entire pilot house assembly have collapsed on wave impact. Such failures have even occurred at moderate speeds in fairly benign seas. The modular pilot house can also suffer from structural degradation due to the disassembly operations required for C-5 transport.”

In 2008 the agency issued an RFP—combatant craft medium (CCM), mk 1 DRFP H92222-09-R-0002—for complete replacement of the craft. Since issuing the RFP it has been changed and modified many times and is currently postponed. Details on the changes and the reason for the postponement and new date are classified.

Besides the issue with the windshield, the main concern with fast boats such as the MK V is impact transferred to the crewmembers due to the craft’s aluminum hull. Even after modifications and upgrades, such as seats with built-in shock-absorbing technology, the boats can generate up to 20 Gs while bucking waves. This has led to many cases of bruises, sprained ankles, chipped teeth and some more serious debilitating back or neck injuries.

While the RFP was issued in 2008, calls for the replacement of the MK V were being made as far back as 2003. In an interview that year, Rear Admiral Bert Calland said, “I’m concerned about the Mark V because it’s really banging up our crews right now. They’re taking as much as 10–11 G-shocks over an extended period of time.” He added, “What I’m looking at is new technology that is going to allow us to not injure the crew and be able to get there, and I’m looking for a replacement for the Mark V as soon as practical.”

Many believe that the acquisition of Halter by Singapore Technologies, a company with a successful product line of fast craft, puts them in a better position to work out the bugs on the MK and/or provide its replacement. But they are not the only game in town.

Maine Marine Manufacturing LLC, a subsidiary of Hodgdon Yachts, was tasked by SOCOM with a “technology demonstration” of a composite hulled version of the MK V that it believed would give special ops the speed and firepower they wanted, with a less bone-jarring ride. The vessel, which has been dubbed the MAKO, has undergone several successful tests since its launch in 2008. The company is now known as Hodgdon Defense Composites LLC (HDC).

“The reason we got involved in the program was specifically because the crews [of the MK V] were experiencing very high G-forces and slamming forces,” said David Packhem, president and CEO of HDC. “While we knew the benefits of using carbon composites as it relates to weight and speed, we also hypothesized that the material would improve upon the absorption of the slamming forces. We built MAKO with that in mind.”

The prototype has proved HDC’s theory several times since it was launched in January 2008. Packhem went on to say that at press time the MAKO was undergoing deep sea trials head to head against an aluminum MK V. The results of these tests will not be available for several months, but Packhem expects the differences of the G-forces experienced by the two crews to be significant.

Packhem admits that from an acquisition standpoint once militarized—dollar for dollar—the MAKO would cost more on the front end than its aluminum hulled counterpart. Yet that difference would be more than made up for in boats that are faster, lighter, longer-lasting and lower-maintenance, and can deliver crews in better shape for their mission!

OTHER SPECIAL OPERATIONS CRAFT

The MK V has both its supporters and detractors. But it is not the only special operations craft (SOC) currently deployed. In 2008 the Navy rolled out the Stiletto. The Stiletto is built by M-boats, an entirely veteran-owned operation. The Stiletto was procured as part of the Navy’s Project WolfPac, a program to deploy and test new concepts of shallow-water and riverine special operations based on the use of swarms or “packs” of smaller, faster, cheaper ships with interlinked communications.

Unlike the bone-jarring aluminum hull of the MK V, the Stiletto incorporates a unique composite design called the “M-hull.” According to the company, “the patented hull form exhibits the shock mitigation features of the deep-V hull with the roll stability of a multihull. In addition, the hull form creates a natural surface effect that not only enhances top speed performance, but actually uses the bow wave energy to reduce the overall wake signature.”

The Stiletto is currently deployed in Florida, Columbia and the Bahamas. A dramatic indication of the vessel’s prowess occurred during a high-speed chase of a “go-fast” boat off the coast of Florida. The chase continued for more than two hours, sometimes at speeds approaching 50 knots. When the smugglers realized they could not outrun the Stiletto, they thought the pursuing boat could not follow them into the shallows, and headed for the reefs—but the Stiletto’s draft is only 2.5 feet, and so the three suspected smugglers were caught.

Brennan J. Smith was one of the original designers of the MK V. In 2000 he founded Viking Fast Craft Solutions LLC. Smith’s company designed the hull for the prototype of the special operations craft riverine (SOC-R), which is currently deployed by Special Boat Team-22, based out of the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. SBT-22 is the only SWCC unit that is not ocean-based. Unlike the MK V, the SOC-R is specifically designed for deep inland river operations. It is aluminum-hulled, heavily armed, and can achieve speeds of up to 40 knots. The SOC-R as currently deployed is built by United States Marine Inc.

MOVING FORWARD

According to Hodgdon’s Packhem, “If you look at the international marketplace today, there are over 3,000 boats that are projected to be built over the next 20 years, and 40 percent of those are going to be in this smaller patrol boat category.” With their high speed, maneuverability, firepower and elite SWCC crews, special boat teams will no doubt play an everincreasing role in the global war on terror, homeland security, and stepped up efforts against maritime piracy.

Captain Evin Thompson, former commander, Naval Special Warfare Group 4, said during his farewell speech as he turned over command of his elite unit, “These dedicated operators make a difference every single day, and with the global war on terror’s increasing emphasis on maritime operations, their expertise, courage and determination will continue to have a far-reaching impact. SWCC operators are all over the globe, and their unique and essential support will continue to be a defining force in the war on terror.” ♦

A New Wave in Small Boat Gunnery Training

The asymmetrical confl icts of Iraq and Afghanistan have created a fast-paced, frenetic and unforgiving operational environment. Gunners must acquire and destroy targets while minimizing collateral damage amid a frenzy of incoming rounds, and a relentless cacophony of noise and dust. Now, add to that the challenge of shooting from a moving boat, on rough seas at speeds of up to 40 knots, and the importance of small boat gunnery training becomes immediately clear.

“The system we developed is designed around the crew of a small boat, and the many tasks they have to accomplish while afl oat,” said Chris Chambers, president of Laser Shot Inc. “Primarily that involves gunnery, navigation, and internal and external communications.” Chambers is describing the confi gurable boat crew and gunnery trainer the company has recently deployed with the U.S. Navy. Confi gured in small craft “Pods,” the system consists of a mock-up boat, mounted on either a stationary or a three-degrees-of-freedom motion platform, which can be equipped with crew-served fi rearms, such as the M2, M240 and MK19. The system uses Virtual Battlespace 2’s (VBS2) software and 360-degree projection screens to create a fully immersive virtual combat environment.

The key factor, as one might imagine with boat-based gunnery, is the fact that you have a gun and a target both moving, sometimes at speeds of over 40 knots. This is a very diffi cult skill to acquire and to train for. According to Chambers, units could only train these skills live at sea, or in a virtual environment that can exactly replicate these conditions. “You cannot train [boat machine gunnery] on a regular fi ring range. You can’t replicate both the movement of the target and of the gun.”

It has been important to develop fully immersive boat gunnery trainers because of the restrictions that have been placed on training at sea. There is a signifi cant environmental impact of training at sea using live rounds, and such exercises now must be conducted beyond U.S. coastal waters, making sea training both diffi cult and expensive. “If the Navy wants to do live gunnery training,” said Chambers, “they have to go outside that limit. So it takes them a few hours just to get out there, and they need to bring support vessels, target vessels. It’s a big and costly undertaking, whereas with the Pod placed on-base crews can be training inexpensively for long periods of time, anytime.”

According to Chambers, it is not just robust software that makes the Laser Shot boat trainer so immersive. “Our guns are unique too. They are made from all real parts of guns, so that they provide all the feedback and feel of recoil, etc., that boat gunners would experience when they are using the real thing during operations.” As to just how real these trainers are, “We’ve had people get off and actually feel seasick.” said Chambers, no doubt with a wry smile. “But more importantly, we’ve had people use the VBS2 geospecifi c software renditions of a place and tell us, ‘I’ve been there, and this is exactly what it’s like.’”

Recent confl icts in the Middle East and piracy off of the coast of Somalia have shown the need for increased use of small combat boats for coastal security, riverine operations and covert insertions into contested areas. ♦

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