As the sailors who insert and extract Navy SEALs from classified locations
around the world, the Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen perform some of
the most vital missions for the United States, and the US Armed Forces depend
on them whether in shallow waters or the most exotic and remote shores.
These brave sailors are true warriors:
disciplined, distinguished, and, most importantly, highly trained.
In 2018, during a joint training exercise with the Air Force, SWCC personnel executed the
insertion of two Combatant Craft Assault vehicles from a C-17 cargo aircraft.
The exercise was planned to the very second, with the team using the Low-Velocity Airdrop Delivery
System to drop thousands of pounds and dollars out of the back of a cargo plane into the water.
And it was all caught on camera…
The Best Of The Best
The
Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, known by their acronym, SWCC, is a team
from the United States Naval Special Warfare command with a unique set of capabilities.
Trained in boating and elite weapons tactics and techniques, the group's primary operational focus
is on clandestine infiltration and exfiltration of Navy SEALs and other special operations forces.
In addition, the SWCC performs its own independent missions all around
the world, using a wide variety of special operations watercraft.
Some of their basic training activities, such as special operators jumping out of aircraft and into
the ocean with rigid-hull inflatable boats, are filmed and released in press announcements.
However, some of the published exercises
take airborne maritime insertion techniques to a whole new level.
In early 2011, a team from the US Air Force 535th Airlift Squadron and US Navy Special Warfare Unit
One teamed up to execute the insertion of two Combatant Craft Assault vehicles out
of the back of a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, using the Low-Velocity Airdrop Delivery System.
Also known as LVADS, the system is meant to deliver loads from aircraft by using
parachutes designed to slow the load's descent as much as possible, ensuring minimal impact.
This type of airdrop is mainly used for large yet delicate equipment and
can be operated out of C-130, C-141, C-5, and C-17A aircraft.
Falling From The Skies
Footage from the exercise was published online in 2018, and the video begins as the C-17 aircraft
arrives at the pre-coordinated drop zone after departing from Joint Base at Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
Hawaii. With over 19,000 pounds of cargo correctly locked in and
the parachuter riggings in place, the precious load was ready to go.
The stage was set: the weather was ideal, the tide was low, and the C-17 had no maintenance issues.
With all signs pointing toward a green light drop, the execution was now the only thing
on the joint team's minds. As such, the loadmasters opened the ramp in the back,
and a drogue parachute meant to decelerate the craft was released.
Within a fraction of a second, the timed parachute opened and fluttered in the wind behind the plane.
Right after, the first stealthy Combat Craft Assault boat was released out of the back of
the aircraft, followed by another. Behind the vessels were 11 low-opening jumpers,
part of the Special Warfare Combat-craft Crewme of Special Boat Team 20,
freefalling from the C-17 and following their rides into the water below.
The operation in the video was a complete success, and the joint team
accomplished all they planned for, dropping a massive and expensive piece of equipment,
as well as 11 personnel from the C-17 aircraft, without a single injury or damage to the cargo.
A Unique Vessel
The Combatant Craft Assault seen in the video has become
a popular platform for Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen to deploy from.
According to the few bits of public information about the craft,
the vessel has a low-observable design with a dup of high-performance engines
that can operate with a low likelihood of detection even while close to shore.
The 41-foot monohull open-water craft is fast, maneuverable, and reconfigurable.
She is also small enough that US Air Force C-17s can airdrop two of them directly into
a given body of water via the Low-Velocity Airdrop Delivery System alongside their crews.
While development started in 2010, the United States Navy received its
first operational Combatant Craft Assault almost three years later. Production of
the type continued for a few years, achieving initial operational capability in late 2015.
As of 2021, the CCA is split between Special Boat Teams 12 and 20.
The CCA's primary role within the US Navy is medium-range maritime interdiction operations
in medium-to-high-threat environments. She can also perform the insertion
and extraction of special operations forces and coastal patrol operations.
According to one unclassified 2014 technical report, each craft has a sensor mast with a
small surface search radar, as well as a sensor turret with day and night-vision capabilities.
Other reports state that at least some of the
CCA's have a satellite communications antenna flush in the top of the bow.
Packing a Punch
The CCA is made with composite materials that protect the vessel against rust,
allowing her to be both lightweight and durable.
She is also open, with only a windshield around the crew compartment.
In addition to the four special warfare combatant-craft operators who typically
work the boat, the craft can carry around eight special operators.
Retractable side-folding panels located on the rear of the boat offer additional
protection and can be removed when not in use to maintain its stealthy shape.
The model can pack quite an arsenal, and she is usually armed with two machine guns and a
grenade launcher. Moreover, upgraded models will be able to carry small drones and guided missiles.
In addition to her medium-range maritime interdiction operations, the CCA is also great
for Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure operations, special missions where Navy SEALs, Green Berets,
Marine Raiders, or Recon Marines board a knowingly suspicious vessel or an enemy ship.
While the small vessels have remained mainly in the shadows since their introduction,
the CCAs are becoming better known to the public, including an appearance in
the action movie ‘Act of Valor’ in 2012. In the film, real military SWCC personnel
executed a hot extraction in a riverine environment during the story's climax.
Going Joint
The joint capabilities of the Navy and Air Force teams shown in the footage are quite a
sight to behold. According to Senior Master Sergeant Chuck Baker, these types of joint
exercises are crucial to the future of the United States Army, stating in a press release that:
[QUOTE] "It is essential that we merge our technologies and capabilities. Each branch
has their own specialties, but we need each other to make the overall mission a success."
Training with the Low-Velocity Airdrop system is
important for forging and refining joint service capabilities in the Pacific.
As stated by 535th AirLift Squadron C-17 pilot Captain Alan Partridge, the more the Air Force and
the Navy work together in scenario-based training, the more the United States Pacific Command and
Special Operations Command in the area will be able to respond to the challenges of the future.
He concluded: [QUOTE] "The goal is to train like we'd fight.
The next step in growing this capability is participating in large, multi-agency
exercises that reflect real-world operations. We want to iron out kinks and problem-solve
in the training environment so that when the time comes to employ forces, we are ready."
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