List of active Royal Marines military watercraft is a list of landing craft and other watercraft in service with the Royal Marines. It consist of a varied fleet of transport vessels, patrol vessels and special forces watercraft (I.e mini submarines etc.) maintained by the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

and designed to transport the Royal Marines or special forces from ship to shore as well as conduct river or estuary patrols.The Royal Navy Handbook, p. 106

Landing Craft

Royal Marine LCAC(LR) Hovercraft MOD 45154442

As of 2014, there are presently 33 Landing Craft in service with the Royal Marines; 10 LCUs, 19 LCVPs and 4 LCACs. Total displacement is approximately 3,000 tonnes.

Offshore Raiding Craft

The Offshore Raiding Craft (ORC) is a recent addition to the Royal Marines inventory. The ORC is primarily employed for 'Strategic Raiding' where speed and covertness is desired, however, the Offshore Raiding Craft is equally as capable when conducting amphibious operations alongside the larger and more traditional LCACs, LCUs and LCVPs. The ORC is fitted with several general purpose machine guns as well as protection against enemy fire for the troops inside. The ORC can be underslung from a helicopter or deployed from ships of various sizes.Royal Marines - Landing Craft
royalnavy.mod.uk, Retrieved 15 June 2014 39 ORC are currently in service with the Royal Marines

Raiding Craft

The Raiding Craft (RC) are operated in large numbers by the Royal Marines and can be divided into two groups; The Rigid Raider (RRC), and the smaller Inflatable Raiding Craft (IRC). Despite being the smallest of the amphibious craft, the Raiding Craft are the most widely used due to their mobility and versatility. As such, the RCs often find themselves deployed in amphibious and riverine operations around the globe, in environments ranging from the

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...

to the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referr ...

. Examples of these craft are not only embarked on all amphibious warfare vessels, but are also carried aboard other Royal Navy ships for use on patrol duties, such as searching ships or anti-piracy.

Specialist Craft

The Royal Navy operate three SDV Mk8 Mod 1 mini-submarines for use by the

Special Boat Service The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...

. They are designed to deliver special forces personnel and their equipment for covert

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

missions on hostile shores. The British SDV Mk8 Mod 1 is the same as used by the United States Navy SEALs. In 2018 it was announced that the UK would buy three MK 11 Shallow Water Combat Submersibles (SWCS) to replace the Mk8s. From 2011 to 2013, the Royal Marines leased four

CB90-class fast assault craft Stridsbåt 90 H(alv) (Strb 90 H; CB90) is a class of fast military assault craft used by several countries after being originally developed for the Swedish Navy by Dockstavarvet. Its name means Combat Boat 90 Half; the ''90'' refers to the yea ...

from the

Swedish Armed Forces The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...

to gain operational insight into the design and capabilities of such a craft. The CB90 or a similar vessel may in future fulfil the Royal Marines concept of the 'Future Force Protection Craft'. It is intended that such a vessel would provide a Task Group in the littoral zones protection from hostile fast attack craft. The Fast Insertion Craft (FIC) is in use with the

. It has a reported maximum speed of up to 55 knots and its hull features a highly stealthy design and advanced 'wave piercing' qualities. It is similar to the American

Mark V Special Operations Craft The Mark V SOC (Special Operations Craft) was a marine security, patrol, and special forces insertion boat used by the United States Navy and manufactured by VT Halter Marine Inc (Gulfport, Mississippi). It was introduced into service with the ...

Patrol Boats

The Royal Marines operate three dedicated patrol vessels of the Island-class based at

HMNB Clyde His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde; also HMS ''Neptune''), primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). It ...

. They are tasked with protecting high value Royal Navy ships such as the

Vanguard-class submarine The ''Vanguard'' class is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) in service with the Royal Navy. The class was introduced in 1994 as part of the Trident nuclear programme, and comprises four vessels: , , and , built ...

s. The vessels -called ''Mull'', ''Rona'' and ''Eorsa''- are ex MoD Police boats. ''Mull'' and ''Rona'' were handed over to the Royal Marines during 2013, with ''Eorsa'' arriving at a later date.

References

External links

Royal Marines - Landing Craft
(royalnavy.mod.uk) {{United Kingdom Ministry of Defence

Watercraft Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sail, ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...