Oregon Iron Works (OIW) has been selected to deliver the US Special Operations Command's (USSOCOM's) Combatant Craft Medium (CCM) Mk 1 special operations craft programme.
The downselection follows a competitive evaluation of vessel prototypes built by OIW and United States Marine Inc (USMI).
Intended as a replacement for the Mk V Special Operations Craft and the Naval Special Warfare Rigid Inflatable Boat, the CCM Mk 1 programme is intended to field what USSOCOM describes as "a modern, clandestine, agile, adaptive, technically relevant, reliable, and operationally capable combatant craft system".
Designed to be C-17 transportable, the CCM Mk 1 will carry a four-man crew and 14-19 passengers. USSCOM has a requirement for 30 craft under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract potentially worth up to USD400 million through to the end of 2021.
The CCM Mk 1 has been conceived as a multirole craft, with its primary mission being to insert and extract special forces personnel in a low-to-medium threat environment. Other core special operations tasks to be undertaken by the new craft include: direct action; special reconnaissance; counterterrorism; foreign internal defence; unconventional warfare; preparation of the operational environment; activities to counter narco-terrorism; personnel recovery; and visit, board, search, and seizure.
In September 2011, OIW and USMI were both awarded Phase II contracts, valued at USD7 million apiece, by USSOCOM to build prototypes for competitive evaluation. Craft were delivered in May 2013 for government testing.
In its contract award notice, USSOCOM said that the final downselection decision in favour of OIW was made after testing and evaluating the two prototypes, and considering final proposal revisions. Initial funding of USD17.5 million has been obligated for prototype refurbishment, to support the purchase of long lead items, and for low rate initial production.
The CCM Mk 1 is planned to achieve an Initial Operational Capability in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015 (FY15). Full Operational Capability is expected in the third quarter of FY20.http://www.janes.com/
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