USN Riverine force goes swedish

[rattmuff]

Safe Boats Awarded Navy Riverine Contract
Monday, July 23, 2007
Safe Boats Awarded Navy Riverine Contract
SAFE Boats International, a U.S. based boat manufacturer, has been contracted to provide a new asset to the United States Navy’s Riverine force. The vessel, designated as the Riverine Command Boat (RCB), is a 49-ft. diesel/jet platform with reconfiguration capabilities that will allow the Navy to convert the vessel’s mission with minimal changes to the base design.

Originally designed by Sweden’s FMV and produced by long time Swedish boat builder, Dockstavarvet, the vessel will now be built in the U.S. by SBI under license from FMV & Dockstavarvet. The boat will be used as a Command and Control platform for the Navy’s Riverine force. Outfitted with the latest in C4ISR equipment, the RCB will have the ability to communicate with other vessels, aircraft and land based assets. The SeaFLIR III IR system and Furuno Navigation package allows for night operations, long range tracking and integration of the navigational equipment.

The RCB weapons capability includes provisions for four individual .50 caliber mounts and a centrally located mount for a stabilized remote control weapons station (ROSAM) with a 360 degree arc of fire. The RCB also has the ability carry and deploy mines and has already been tested and certified to increase fire up to, but not limited to, Hellfire missiles and a gyro-stabilized twin-barrel 12-cm mortar. The twin Scania DI16 850 hp diesel engines coupled to Rolls Royce FF410 waterjets will allow the RCB to run in excess of 40 knots.

http://www.marinelink.com/Story/Safe...ct-208129.html

More info on the CB90.
http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=CB90
http://www.dockstavarvet.se/index2.php?content=products&subpage=combat_boat_cb_90_h

And I thought Sweden didn't allow exports to countries that wage wars. :no

[gf0012-aust]

More info on the CB90.
http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=CB90
http://www.dockstavarvet.se/index2.php?content=products&subpage=combat_boat_cb_90_h

And I thought Sweden didn't allow exports to countries that wage wars. :no

A very very nice little design. I can see a few potential buyers in Asia, and quite a few countries who woukd consider copying the design!

Sweden was selling to both sides in WW2 and IIRC bought off both sides. I'm not so sure that the notion of commercial sanctity for the Swedish Govt still applies in the real world. ;)

Australia did have some problems with Sweden during the Vietnam was (vis a vis supply), but that has not been the case with any of our swedish gear in the last 35 years.

[Tasman]

Operating from LHD/LPD/LSD type vessels I think the CB90 would be an excellent addition to forces operating in the Gulf to provide backup to RHIBs engaged in boarding operations.

Cheers

[kato]

Germany is considering buying a couple for the Police and Coast Guard, after borrowed CB90s showed quite a good performance during the G8 Summit.

[Galrahn]

Operating from LHD/LPD/LSD type vessels I think the CB90 would be an excellent addition to forces operating in the Gulf to provide backup to RHIBs engaged in boarding operations.

I absolutely agree with that.

[robsta83]

Operating from LHD/LPD/LSD type vessels I think the CB90 would be an excellent addition to forces operating in the Gulf to provide backup to RHIBs engaged in boarding operations.

Cheers

Certainly make a "neigbouring" navy think twice on picking on one of those rather than a RHIB. Any room in the ADF's DCP for something like this?

[Tasman]

Certainly make a "neigbouring" navy think twice on picking on one of those rather than a RHIB. Any room in the ADF's DCP for something like this?

No mention in the DCP but I would like to see something like this added and made available for operations from the Canberra class LHDs.

Cheers

[swerve]

I like the CB90 a lot, but it's worth noting that there are others around. e.g the Finnish Watercat range.

http://www.marinealutech.com/prod6.htm
http://www.marinealutech.com/prod-m12.htm

A mortar version of the M12 has undergone trials, & IIRC others have been proposed

Of course, the Finnish & Swedish Baltic coasts are similar. Mazes of islands in a shallow sea are ideal operating conditions for such craft. Boats like these - either type - would be ideal for patrolling the Iraqi coast, & it's a pity the RN isn't using them.

[Aussie Digger]

No mention in the DCP but I would like to see something like this added and made available for operations from the Canberra class LHDs.

Cheers

I'd imagine something like this would be pretty much restricted to SOCOMD, rather than for the rest of Army.

As such it'd come under project Redfin and we wouldn't know about it, til we saw 4RAR zooming around Sydney Harbour anyway... :)

[Todjaeger]

Is there any information on how well the CB90 would function in open water? Being designed for riverine warfare and with a range of around 320 n miles I wouldn't expect it to conduction long patrols, but could this be used in some littoral areas or as a heavy interception boat for major ports? It seems capable of mounting sufficient firepower to deter other vessels apart from warships.

If the vessel can operate in the ocean, it could do very well in areas of high piracy, operating from nearby ports and/or a mothership.

-Cheers

[buglerbilly]

The Norwegians use the CB90's as semi-Coastal Patrol Vessels for their Rangers or some such specialist group. Similar applies to the Swedish Forces.

Both coasts look great in Summer but NOT places you necessarily want to be at other times (or if the weather turns) certainly not Winter.

True Blue Water capability they don't have but Coastal Water capability they have in buckets full. For areas of high piracy such as the Malacca Straits or around the Philippines, they are almost ideal IMHO.

[buglerbilly]

More precise details on the Norwegian force..............from Wikepedia........

The Coastal Rangers are trained to be highly mobile in the littoral environment, using the Combat Boat 90 and occasionally helicopters. The CB90 is capable of landing troops directly on the shore. Max payload is 16 armed troops, and max speed is 40kn. Their main weapon against enemy vessels is the AGM-114 Hellfire missile, using a blast-fragmentation warhead. This can easily be carried in the Combatboat 90, but will (usually) be launched from ashore, taking advantage of Norway's numerous islands and rugged coast. The Coastal Ranger Command has a strong focus on ISTAR, and train to fight asymmetrical enemy tactics. The Coastal Ranger Command have trained with allied forces, where their CB90 have been embarked from the HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) LPD and HMS Albion (L14). The Coastal Ranger Command was officially declared fully operational August 17. 2005.

[regstrup]

For areas of high piracy such as the Malacca Straits or around the Philippines, they are almost ideal IMHO.
You are closer to the truth, than you know :)

The Malaysian Navy use the Combat Boat 90 as a fast patrol craft of the coast of Sabah and Sarawak. The Mexican Navy uses the craft in the similar role.

Link to article (http://www.cat.com/cda/files/254901/7/Patrol%20Boats%20%E2%80%A6Dockstavarvet.pdf)

[swerve]

Is there any information on how well the CB90 would function in open water? Being designed for riverine warfare and with a range of around 320 n miles I wouldn't expect it to conduction long patrols, but could this be used in some littoral areas or as a heavy interception boat for major ports?

-Cheers

The Swedes designed it, & use it, for littoral warfare, not riverine. The Baltic, not the Atlantic (though the Baltic can be rough - see Estonia, 28-Sep1994), but as others have said, it is used by navies on wilder coasts. I'd say it's very well-suited to those uses.

Paul

[Galrahn]

I read today the US Navy bought the demo unit for 2 million, and ordered another for 2.8 million. Makes the total purchase for 2, not 1.

[leesea]

Yes indeed the Swedes have a successful design which they have sold many of.

Being a riverine vet and knowing the officers who are buying the CB90, I thought I would add a little bit. First off the Swedish design is being modified to 52 ft length with foam collars added by American boat builder Safe Boats International. I think the first boat was a demo craft and the second modified version?
The Naval Expeditionary Combat Command rates this as a RCB since they intend it primarily for command and control of near coastal & riverine ops. They also see its multi-mission capabilities including troop lift and gunfire support as important. Too bad the USN probably won't buy the 120mm mortar.
The Marine Alutech boats are too light and flat for offshore missions and used primarily for troop insertions.

[Dudes99]

OK, the boat order is up to 6 with the first boat being the RCB-X (baseline development) and all being initially fielded with the Riverine Force. These will augment the fleet of SURC's (now RPB's) that they inherited from the USMC. Indeed C2 will be the primary focus but it will always be a gun boat.

The Maritime Expeditionary Security Force is looking to procure 6 boats of their own for use in the littoral area that they operate in (different missions) the VBSS capability of the RCB is being looked at.

Cheers:D

[leesea]

It was a little unclear to me what the FY09 SCN budget included. Two for $2mil sounds more reasonable. The SafeBoat is definitely a modified version of CB90 longer and wider with closed cell sponsons outboard. The Navy League's annual Seapower also reports that all the riverine boats are being re-desinated which should confuse us further!

My fellow Brownwater Navy vets think highly of this boat. Most would agree its more a coastal mean green machine with lots of flexibilty. We believe that weapons and armor are the most important attributes in a combatant craft.

There is reportedly another procurement for Riverine Assault Boats which might be follow-on to SURC?

There are plenty of good candidates for the MESD VBSS boats.

Take a look at: http://warboats.org/

[hvidtfeldt]

These boats are far more useful and seaworthy than many gives them credit for.

The danish navy has selected them for Search and Rescue vessels deployed from the new corvet sized OPV's of 'Knud Rasmussen'- class (2 ordered, a third on option and a fourth wanted).

They will operate around Greenland mostly.

Link (replace + with a . I am not allowed to post URLS)
www+navalhistory+dk/images/Pressebilleder/Inspektionsfartøjer_2004/SAR1+jpg

[leesea]

thanks for that info. I think the USN will be using these boats as group leaders and combat support boats? Standing off the area of contact something like the CCBs of Brown Water Navy? Also they could be used in conjunction the the new Global Fleet Stations several of which use LSDs as motherships.