The illustration shows the 24m (60ft) semi-submersible ‘snorkel sub’ discovered on 20th Oct 2013 in the jungle on the Ecuador/Colombian border. The design is innovative and unusual, and is one of only two true semi-submersibles captured. The vast majority of “narco subs” are Low Profile Vessels (LPVs) which cannot fully submerge. This boat cannot run fully submerged either and requires the snort mast to be above the surface. The hull is below the surface however and depth and trim can be regulated by flooding seawater into the ballast tanks. It can carry up to 8 tons of cocaine for thousands of miles, making trips from Colombia to Mexico or beyond. (see previous COVERT SHORES article)
Original artwork - CLICK for HIGH-RESOLUTION (3200px) image. 
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SubCat Swimmer Delivery Vehicle
The SubCat is one of a series of virtually unknown British SDVs (Swimmer Delivery Vehicles) from the Cold War. Designed to carry two combat divers over long distances, the SubCat incorporated many innovations and was ahead of its time in several respects. .... Read More >....
Iranian Revolutionary Guards acquire 2 US Navy Riverine Command Boats
UPDATED: The ‘acquisition’ was short lived. Iran has released the two boats along with the crew. It remains to be seen whether the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy (IRGC-N) will clone the Riverine Command Boat (RCB), a variant of the Swedish CB90 family. My guess is that it won’t be long before we see the Iranian version of the classic Combat Boat 90 (CB90), “100% developed in Iran”, being paraded by the IRGC-N. Read More >....
Unbuilt project MSV-75 Special Forces submarine
The 1970s saw a resurgent German submarine (U-boot) industry, and the start of a period when they would dominate the export market. Typical German submarines, such as the ubiquitous Type-209, were relatively small diesel-electric boats but packed a big punch. Several other designs were even smaller however, and aimed at the Special Forces and special operations market which was at the time dominated by Italian firm Cos.Mo.S. One of the designs on offer was the Thyssen Nordseewerke MSV-75 (Multipurpose Submersible Vessel) ..... Read More >....
Unbuilt project – MSV-75 Special Forces submarine
The 1970s saw a resurgent German submarine (U-boot) industry, and the start of a period when they would dominate the export market. Typical German submarines, such as the ubiquitous Type-209, were relatively small diesel-electric boats but packed a big punch. Several other designs were even smaller however, and aimed at the Special Forces and special operations market which was at the time dominated by Italian firm Cos.Mo.S. One of the designs on offer was the Thyssen Nordseewerke MSV-75 (Multipurpose Submersible Vessel) ..... Read More >....
Quiz - Combat Boats
Ever since the Swedish Combat Boat 90 (CB-90) hit the scene, the world of assault boats (fast landing craft etc) has not been the same. The CB90 set new standards of speed, versatility, accommodation, robustness and, importantly, style. Since then many firms have built craft in a similar vein. In fact, most are almost indistinguishable, which is what this quiz is about. Identify which CB90 clone is which.
New Russian SOF base in Crimea
UPDATED: Over the last few days defense related Social Media has lit up with excellent intelligence on a new Russian SOF (or elite unit) naval base in Crimea. It’s a diminutive jetty previously used for civilian boats. What first caught people’s eye was the Russian copy of the Swedish CB90, the Project 03160 ‘Raptor’ Read More >....
Book Review - Commander Crabb - What Really Happened
The mysterious disappearance of Commander Lionel Crabb while conducting a covert underwater examination of a Soviet cruiser has gripped the public’s imagination for years. And the diving community too. An eccentric character, the uncertain circumstances, a botched MI6 cover-up and political embarrassment on an international scale came together in the perfect Cold War mystery. Previous books and media have almost exclusively focused on the most sensationalist and farfetched versions of the tale, including Conspiracy Theories. So this book, researched and authored by the Chairman of the Historical Diving Society, is a breath of fresh air. Read More >....
COMSUBIN trialing various Special Forces underwater equipment
The Italian Navy has published some very nice photos of COMSUBIN operating various underwater vehicles. None of these types are thought to be operational with the unit, but excellent photography. Read More >....
Narco-Subs spread to Brazil
The scene of cops swarming over a captured semi-sub (technically a Low Profile Vessel, LPV) deep in the South American jungle look familiar. It looks like a dozen similar drug busts spanning the last twenty years. But this is unique. Brazil is not known for Narco subs. In fact there have never been any found in the Brazilian rainforests; until now. Does this represent a one-off oddity, or a shift in the game? Read More >....
