VESSEL REVIEW | Response RIB delivered to Texas Highway Patrol
MARITIME SECURITY WEEK
Ocean Craft Marine (OCM) based in Annapolis, Maryland, has just completed a new boat delivery to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Highway Patrol, Tactical Marine Unit (TMU). This delivery was for the first boat of eight identical boats designed and built under two contracts with the Texas State Government.
The Texas Highway Patrol Tactical Marine Unit (TMU) assists local and federal partners in targeting illicit drugs and human trafficking organisations through reconnaissance and visible patrols in the intra-coastal waterways and the Rio Grande River. The Tactical Marine Unit provides a law enforcement presence along the national border to prevent acts of terrorism and spillover violence from transnational organisations that exploit the US southern border.
The interceptor-classed rigid inflatable boat has an LOA of 31 feet (9.5 metres), a beam of 10.4 feet (3.17 metres), and a payload capacity of 4,299 pounds (1,950 kilograms). The RIB also has a hybrid CE closed-cell foam-filled tube-set, a heavy-duty full coverage T-top, mission-modular and re-configurable shock-mitigating seating custom-built by Shockwave Seats, a robust aluminium bow-guard with push knees, advanced navigation and communications electronics to include colour video, thermal imagery and a digital wireless headset crew-communication system from the David Clark Company.
A forward mount can be fitted with machine guns or other crew-served automatic weapons while storage space is available for firearms.
The boat is powered by two Mercury Marine Verado 350 outboard engines controlled by Mercury Racing’s digital throttle shift (DTS) while also utilising Mercury’s proprietary trim control system to increase fuel economy and mission range by providing instant and effortless automatic trimming of the outboards. The vessel can reach a top speed of 53 knots and is capable of heavy weather seakeeping and tight high-speed tactical turns, thanks to Ocean Craft Marine’s concave reverse-chine hull form.
The TMU will take delivery of another seven RIBs from the same series before the end of the year.
| 31-foot Interceptor Boat | |
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | RIB – Interceptor |
| Owner: | Texas Department of Public Safety |
| Operator: | Texas Highway Patrol, USA |
| Builder: | Ocean Craft Marine, USA |
| Length overall: | 31 feet (9.5 metres) |
| Beam: | 10.4 feet (3.17 metres) |
| Capacity: | 4,299 pounds (1,950 kilograms) |
| Main engines: | 2 x Mercury Marine Verado 350 outboards |
| Steering system: | Mercury Racing |
| Maximum speed: | 53 knots |
| Other electronics: | David Clark Company headset communications |
| Other equipment installed: | Mercury Marine trim control system |
| Seating: | Shockwave |
| Crew: | 2 |
| Operational area: | Rio Grande River, Texas, USA |
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