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1. The NSW RIB's twin caterpillar 3126 diesel engines produce a total of 940 hp and drive the boat at a top speed of 47 knots.

2. Karl La Bauve and Chris Bukosky take a break during builder's trials on Lake Borgne near New Orleans.

3. U.S. Marine has a contract to build 48 RIBs for the Navy Special Warfare program with an option for 24 more.

4. The RIB is well equipped with a furuno radar and UHF, VHF, HF and SATCOM communications.

The U.S. Navy SEALs have a fast new weapon that is being delivered by United States Marine in New Orleans: The Naval Special Warfare Rigid Inflatable Boat(NSW RIB).

The NSW RIBs were designed with input from the SEALs and special warfare Combatant Crewman(SWCC) and are replacing the three previous versions of the RIB. The first NSW RIBs were delivered in 1997. United States Marine has a contract for 48 boats with options to build 24 more.

The 36-foot vessels are high-speed, high-buoyancy, all weather boats designed to transport a team of up to 8 SEALs on short-range insertion and extraction missions. Each boat has a beam of 10 feet, 7 inches and loaded draft of 3 feet.

Getting underway on the NSW RIB is quite an experience. Under the skilled hand of Chris Bukosky, United States Marine's project manager, NSW RIB number 34 quickly reached its top speed of 47 knots during builder's trials on Lake Borgne, east of New Orleans. The boat's two Catepillar 3126, six-cylinder marine engines produce 470 hp each at 2,950 rpm turning ZF IRM 301 PL 1.408: 1 reduction gears. The two Kamewa FF-JET FF 280 Mix waterjet drives develop 5,800 lbs of thrust. Fuel is carried in two 90-gallon fuel bladders below the forward cockpit. With a 3,200-lb maximum payload, the NSW RIB has a range of 216 NM as a cruising speed of 34 knots.

The rigid hull of the NSW RIB is an ABS approved composite structure, made of tough Kevlar, E-glass, linear and cross-linked PVC coew and high-elongation vinylester resin. The hull design is an adaptation of high-performance offshore powerboats and forms a deep "V" that encases five water-tight bulkheads and six compartments, providing storage and access to electrical and piping systems. The sponson is essentially a fendering system of Hypalon TM-coated, neoprene-impregnated nylon, by Demaree Inflatable Bats, Inc.

The sponson also stabilizes the boat in an extreme craft heel, a maneuver the boat executes exceedingly well, and provides added buoyancy. The tube is clear of the water when the boat is underway to minimize drag and keep the inside dry.