F470 Zodiac

Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) [ 2007 ]

The F470 Combat Rubber Raiding Craft provides a useful method of insertion-extraction for American special forces groups.

Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB and Dan Alex | Last Edited: 08/22/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

A crew has a little fun aboard their piece of government equipment, this being a CRRC

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

It comes to specialized vehicles such as the Zodiac Marine & Pool F470 Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) to allow specialized waterborn elements such as the famous United States Navy SEALs or USMC RECON to do their job. CRRCs launch from submerged submarines or are air-dropped from helicopters or medium-lift transports with operators in tow, ready to begin their mission within seconds thanks to skillful planning and excellent execution. The relatively lightweight F470 is a completely evolutionary design as far as inflatable boats go - developed from the outset with multi-mission capabilities in mind while being able to accommodate various engine sizes and cargo loads as required.

The F470 features a high-pressure deck system built around a rigid aluminum deck which can support engine sizes up to a 55-horsepower. This is tied to a pump jet "propulsor" which is essentially a shrouded impeller instead of the conventional exposed propeller. The shrouded impeller provides several inherent benefits in its design, reducing the risk of injury to personnel in the water when the engine is running while also reducing the chance of damage to the propeller itself when nearing unseen underwater dangers such as rocks. The vessel also sports a tear-resistant Duratane "skin" along the floor for heavy duty abuse. The special deck design is lightweight and provides a stowed footprint of just 2'6" x 4'11" which provides the craft with an excellent top speed while allowing for additional gear to be brought along by its passengers. A single F470 can be inflated to its complete size within 2 minutes through pressurized air from a SCUBA tank - a quality certainly appreciated by fast-acting "frogmen".

The CRRC design makes use of eight airtight chambers of which five are connected in the main hull these being divided by internal baffles and valves. Such a design ensures that the vessel will not capsize due to a single breach of the hull. The additional chambers are set along the sides of the raft to allow for cushioned seating. High seas stability is made possible a Vee-shaped hull underside.

The CRRC can be used for both "blue" (open water) or "brown" (riverine) water missions and is fully-capable of transporting up to ten combat-ready Special Forces operatives onto beaches, to the edge of piers, under oil rigs or against stalled vessels as needed. The primary advantage of such a small and fast craft is its inherent stealthy nature, particularly when operated in low-light hours when the element of surprise is key to success. The F470 is also versatile enough that it can be used for MEDEVAC, light cargo transport and other roles beyond that of insertion and extraction. It is this multi-mission nature that earns the respect of water-born units such as the Navy SEALs.

An F470 is typically crewed by two coxswain personnel - one sitting at the stern and controlling the vessel during operation while the other maintains contact with other vessels. The rest of the onboard space is taken up by operators and their gear who take a low profile along the craft's sides. Missin gear is stowed about the open deck space. While possibly armed with a machine gun, the F470 is generally at the mercy of small arms fire from enemy positions - hence the critical nature of stealth required in such missions. The F470 no doubt remains a special craft for special infantry.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

2007

Origin

United States

Status

COMMISSIONED
In Active Service.

Complement

10
PERSONNEL

Class

Zodiac-type

Number-in-Class

900
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

Not Applicable.

United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

Length

15.6 ft
4.75 m

Beam

6.2 ft
1.89 m

Draught

2.0 ft
0.00 m

Displacement

1
tons

Installed Power: 1 x Outboard 2- or 4-stroke engine with pump jet propulsion delivering 55 horsepower.

Surface Speed

18.0 kts
(20.7 mph)

1 x 7.62mm general purpose machine gun on pintle mount (optional).

Any crew-served or personal weapons pertaining to the mission at hand.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

None.

Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period

Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 11

A crew has a little fun aboard their piece of government equipment, this being a CRRC

2 / 11

Crewmem work on their CRRC

3 / 11

Soldiers propel along their CRRC in open waters

4 / 11

Infantrymen patrol aboard their CRRC; note soldier with M60E3 General Purpose Machine Gun at the bow

5 / 11

A pair of CRRCs and applicable crew at sea

6 / 11

Soldiers bring their CRRC to shore by hand

7 / 11

Soldiers aboard their CRRC; note M60E3 GPMG at the bow

8 / 11

Rear view of the CRRC showing engine detail and placement

9 / 11

High-angled left side view of a CRRC at speed

10 / 11

Members of SEAL Team 5 aboard their CRRC at speed

11 / 11

A trio of CRRCs are collected at the stern deck rack of an Amphibious Support Ship

❮ ❯

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)