PHILADELPHIA, July 1, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Media are invited to cover the Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCCs - pronounced "swick") and boats of Special Boat Team 20 (SBT 20) as they perform rehearsals July 4, 2003 for the special operations military demonstration scheduled for the evening of July 5, 2003 as part of the Sunoco Welcome America! Festival in Philadelphia. Demonstrations will take place in the Delaware River, in front of the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing. The Great Plaza at Penn's Landing is located at Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street.
Two Mark Five (MK-V) Special Operations Craft (SOC) and two rigid hull inflatable boats (RIBs) along with the highly skilled Sailors that operate them will perform maneuvers showcasing Naval Special Warfare assets recently utilized in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
The MK-V and RIBs are assigned to Special Boat Team 20 based at Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk, VA. These state-of-the-art, high-performance maritime craft are used to support special operations missions throughout the world.
Facts and Figures:
-- MK V COMBAT BOAT. The primary mission of the MK V SOC is a medium range insertion and extraction platform for SpecOps & SEAL forces in a low-medium threat environment. The secondary mission is limited Coastal Patrol and Interdiction. General Characteristics -- Length Overall: 81' - 2" Beam: 17' - 5-3/4" -- Draft: 5' Maximum (static) -- Fuel Capacity: 2600 Gallons -- Construction: Aluminum Hull Naval Special Warfare -- Engines: Twin 2285 HP MTU 12V396 TE94 Diesel -- Waterjets: KaMeWa50S -- Top Speed: 45-48 Knots -- Range: 500+ NM -- 11-METER NSW RIGID INFLATABLE BOAT - RIB. The Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) is a high speed, high buoyancy, extreme weather craft with the primary mission of insertion/extraction of SpecOps and SEAL teams from enemy beaches. The RIB hull is made of glass reinforced plastic. General Characteristics -- Length Overall: 36' -- Draft: 2' 11" -- Fuel Capacity: 180 Gallons -- Construction: FRP w/air-filled sponson -- Engines: 470 HP Twin Caterpillar 3126 Diesels -- Waterjets: KaMeWa FF280 Mix -- Top Speed: 45+ Knots -- Range: 200+ NM
Interested Media:
Media interested in covering the rehearsals or conducting interviews with the Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCCs) need to contact JOC Tom Jones, Public Affairs Officer for Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR at (757) 646-8707.
For more information on Naval Special Warfare, check out www.swcc.navy.mil.
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