Marines: Russia Gets New Assault Boats

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July 21, 2016: Russian firm Kalashnikov (the same one that makes assault rifles) recently delivered the first of dozens of BC-16 high-speed Assault Boats to the Russian armed forces. The BC-16 is 16.45 meters (53.5 feet) long and four meters (15 feet) wide. Ithas a crew of two and can carry up to 19 additional passengers. Top speed is 75 kilometers an hour and max endurance is about 24 hours. On internal fuel the BC-16 can take a full load of passengers about 700 kilometers. The BC-16 is armed with a RWS (remote weapons station) that can use anything from a 7.62mm machine-gun to a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. The front deck is designed to launch and recover a small UAV. The BC-16 also has radar and GPS navigation. The BC-16 is used mainly for coastal and river patrol as well as quickly delivering troops where needed. A smaller version (the BC-10) can only carry about a dozen people and has lower speed and endurance. The BC-16 is being used by Russian naval forces both for patrol and supporting special operations forces.