The Coastal Command Boat (CCB) patrol boat is built by SAFE Boats International (SBI), designed to patrol riverine and littoral waters. The CCB is the first vessel of if its kind and represents the next generation of the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC)’s fleet of patrol boats and combatant craft. As the first and only vessel of its kind, some of the CCB’s capabilities include increased payload capacity for maritime interdiction operations (MIO), Sea Ports of Debarkation (SPOD) defense, Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) control, and other littoral and coastal maritime missions.
The CCB is a precursor to the MK VI patrol boats that will be delivered to the Navy and NECC in the future. Both the CCB and MK VI patrol boats are a result of dynamic requirements that are unique to the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility. The CCB is powered by twin diesel engines and water jets, is capable of speeds in excess of 35 knots and can maintain cruise speed for up to 24 hours. It features a pilothouse and a main deck cabin with shock mitigating seating for up to 18 crew members and features integrated working stations along with a separate galley, head, shower facilities and engine room. The CCB is equipped for crew served and remotely operated weapon systems, advanced thermal imaging and features a hydraulic crane system.
The CCB’s capabilities include increased payload capacity for maritime interdiction operations (MIO), Sea Ports of Debarkation (SPOD) defense, Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) control, and other littoral and coastal maritime missions. Standard armament consists of two remote-controlled Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm chain guns and six crewed M2 .50 caliber machine guns. Depending on mission needs, gun mounts can hold M240 machine guns, M134 miniguns, and Mk 19 grenade launchers. The Mark VI is equipped with the MK50 Gun Weapon System (GWS), a shipboard version of the vehicle-mounted M153 CROWS remote turret that enables crewmen to use its camera and gun from the operator’s station below deck. Armor plating, able to withstand small-arms fire, is around key elements such as the engines and fuel tank.
The vessel was manufactured at SAFE Boats International’s Large Craft Production Facility (LCPF) at the Port of Tacoma, Washington and is one of the largest platforms the company has produced to date. US Navy personnel recently underwent specialized training at the LCPF’s newly launched training center, also located within the Port of Tacoma, where everything from vessel operation to advanced systems maintenance was taught. The CCB was then taken to the northern Puget Sound where extensive testing was performed prior to delivery.
