NPS NRP Executive SummarySmall boat crews operating Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) during Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), are often left exposed to adversaries' hostile actions. In conducting Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure (VBSS) and other close-in surface actions boarding teams are prone to gunfire from above, placing them and their small craft at significant risk. While the RHIB is well known for being swift, lightweight, highly maneuverable, and multifunctional, it suffers from an unshielded distant approach, a need for demanding boat handling skills, assumes generally inferior positioning and full exposure while laying alongside larger vessels. To reduce crew casualties and increase RHIB critical component survivability without negatively impacting operational mission success, a cost-effective, lightweight, unencumbering, and easily installable retrofit is needed. This study will investigate appropriate material solutions to protect against small arms, and blast fragmentation effects, while not deterring from the vessel's mission. Additionally, impacts on buoyancy, stability, and other ship's performance characteristics will be studied. Finally, cost and maintenance considerations will be explored as part of the recommended outcomes.N9 - Warfare SystemsThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
