The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded United States Marine a $54.4 million contract for the delivery of up to 35 11-meter navy special warfare rigid inflatable boats (RHIBS).
The contract also covers trailers, accessories, spares, and other technical assistance, as well as purchases for the Coast Guard and foreign governments.
United States Marine is expected to complete deliveries under the contract by September 2026.
The 11m NSW RIBs are high-speed, high-buoyancy, extreme-weather craft with the primary mission of SEAL insertion/extraction and a secondary mission of marine interdiction operations.
They are constructed of composites with an inflatable tube gunwale made of reinforced fabric. They can operate in heavy seas and winds of 45 knots.
The boat carries a crew of three and a SEAL element (eight passengers) in its Naval Special Warfare role and is used increasingly by Naval Expeditionary Warfare in a marine interdiction/visit board search and seizure (VBSS) role, organic to LPD 17-class ships, with a navy crew of three and a Marine Corps boarding team. The navy VBSS variant includes a lifting bail for launch and retrieval from LPD 17-class ships.
According to the navy, the boats have a top speed of over 40 knots and range of 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers). They are armed with an M60 7.62mm machine gun, MK19 40mm, and a M2 .50 cal. machine gun.
