Next Generation Combatant Craft
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Combatant Craft Program Office conducting market research to obtain information concerning a next generation combatant craft under RFI-CCPMO-NGCC issed 21 June 2007. Special Operations Forces (SOF) require a tactically sized, highly reliable, reconfigurable, utilitarian combatant craft capable of operating from land or maritime platforms. The primary mission of this craft will be to provide for insertion/extraction of Special Operations Forces (SOF) into hostile/denied littoral/coastal areas as well as to provide tactical surface mobility for visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations.
Maximum craft dimensions will be 45 feet in length, 9 feet in beam, and 9 feet in height. The craft on its trailer will be capable of air transport in C-17, C-130, and C-5 aircraft.. Total weight of the craft including, lightship craft, fuel, and variable payload will not exceed 20,500 pounds. Craft variable payload, including crew of 4, personal combat gear, 9 combat-equipped SOF personnel, weapons / ammunition, and mission specific equipment will be at least 4,500 pounds with a goal of 7,750 pounds. The craft will use diesel fuel.
The craft will have redundant propulsion and steering controls and will also have the ability to be maintained and repaired in austere conditions. Craft cruise speed while fully loaded will be 40 knots in 4 foot combined seas with a goal of 55 knots in 6 foot combined seas. Craft sprint speed while fully loaded will be at least 50 knots in 3 foot combined seas with a goal of 65 knots in 3 foot combined seas. Range will be at least 270 nautical miles in 4 foot combined seas with a goal of 330 nautical miles in 6 foot combined seas. Craft will be able to come alongside both a stationary and underway vessel and maintain precise station with minimal fore/aft/side deviations.
Craft will incorporate personnel shock mitigation system(s). Craft will contain provisions/mounts for the integration of self protection weapons. Multi-spectral signature reduction should be a consideration during development of the craft. The vessel will have inherent capabilities against multi-spectral threat sensors to the extent possible without adding significant cost or delaying the Commercial-Off -the Shelf/Non-Developmental Item (COTS/NDI) acquisition process.. The craft will have a fully integrated communications and navigation suite of electronics equipment that is interoperable with other Naval Special Warfare units, SOF ground/air assets, and U.S. Navy systems.
The communications sub-system will provide for a full range of secure communications from HF through UHF, and will provide as a minimum a communications module, boat to boat short range communications, and interior secure wireless inter-communications capabilities. Mean time between operational mission failure will be at least 85% probability of no failure in an 11 hour mission with a goal of at least 90% probability of no failure in an 11 hour mission. Mean time to repair will be less than 12 hours with a goal of less than 8 hours. Mean time between maintenance will be at least 85% probability of no maintenance required in 2 months with a goal of at least 85% probability of no maintenance required in 3 months. Mean time between critical failure will be at least 85% probability of no mission critical maintenance required for 1000 hours with a goal of at least 85% probability of no mission critical maintenance required for 1400 hours.
Responses to this RFI should include when available: 1) A capability assessment of the company to include production readiness 2) A detailed description of product and information on how the product meets the specified capabilities above to include any potential modification to a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) item needed to achieve the required capability, along with noted deviations to our stated requirements 3) Expected annual production rates 4) Rough order of magnitude (ROM) unit price for potential purchases from 1 to 75 units.
The Next Generation Combatant Craft APTD MKII is Air-Transportable aboard C-130 Hercules aircraft, fully loaded aboard its trailer and ready to launch. This High Speed Interceptor with offshore & riverine abilities, provides anti-terrorist and Maritime Facilities Protection, Special Forces Insertion, Surveilance & Extraction, combined with Composite armore protection for the crew, troops and cargo.
Falcon specializes in the production of advanced, high strength, light weight composite hulls and decks utilizing infusion and other closed molding processes that it’s owners had developed and worked with during the 16 years that they owned and operated Composite Holdings, Inc and its subsidiary companies. Resins include but are not limited to: Poly Ester, Vinyl Ester, Epoxy, Phenolic and Polyurethane. The parts produced are both cored and non-cored. The core materials vary widely with the ability to thermoform core materials for tightly curved parts eliminating the print through common with the serrated core materials. Core capabilities also include foam injected parts using urethane and epoxy foaming materials.
The POWER-VENT™ Marine Drive System is based on inboard type simplicity and reliability with the performance characteristics of Surfacing Propellers and the shallow draft of Jets. Power-Vent™ is a unique, scalable drive system thats simplicity and reliability inherently combines the feature characteristics of all other drive systems while significantly reducing operational and maintenance costs.
