Water Insertion Options for Special Forces

摘要

As maritime special operations forces (MARSOF) seek to optimise their operational effectiveness in both littoral and bluewater environments, commanders are demanding increased capacity and capability to support missions in a rapidly evolving battlespace. Operational requirements continue to be driven by the demands of MARSOF seeking to respond as rapidly as possible to developing events anywhere in the world, while simultaneously maintaining tactical overmatch over better-equipped near-peer and high capability adversaries such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. The ability to operate highly manoeuvrable, protected and lethal surface vessels was illustrated on 25 November when Russian SOF interdicted Ukrainian Navy surface ships in the Kerch Strait near Crimea. Ukrainian vessels were quickly and easily immobilised and boarded by Russian SOF, after claims by the Russian FSB that the vessels had crossed into Russian territorial waters.