March 17, 2008

Practical For Tactical

Military Special Forces were among the earliest adopters of RIBs. The reason, quite simply, is safety, performance, and versatility.

First and foremost, a RIB is ideal for keeping the crew safe while en route to their intended destination. For many Special Forces and tactical teams, a RIB is used as a means of deployment to a land or water based target. They rely on speed for the element of surprise and to insure mission success. While at speed, the crew and members of the tactical team can be subject to severe impacts and harsh elements for long periods of time. A RIB, with its deep V hull and inflatable tube, mitigates that by providing a far smoother and dryer ride than hard sided vessels. A less bruised and battered group of Special Forces is far more capable to perform at the top of their game when they reach their destination.

Tactical forces require an open light weight high speed platform that provides the utmost in sea keeping abilities, maneuverability, and responsiveness. They need a boat whose performance is not only reliable, but predictable. Many tactical forces use their boats to deliver boarding parties to larger vessels – a RIB's maneuverability and inflatable tube is essential for these operations as they come alongside their targets. With the tube a RIB is generally more immune to damage from low speed collisions.

These days with the increased threat to Homeland Security, it's no longer just the military that have Special Forces. Law Enforcement Agencies, both at the state and local level have seen their responsibility grow to include more maritime interdiction and anti-terrorism missions. Even U.S. companies that have manufacturing facilities on larger bodies of water overseas, be they factories or oil platforms, are providing tactical security forces to patrol and protect their interests. Like the early adopters, these organizations rely on the safety, performance, and versatility of a RIB.

Posted by ribcraftusa at March 17, 2008 11:53 AM