DS-RIB: New Tactical Boat for Special Forces

Rybinsk Shipyard (a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov Group) has developed DS-RIB, Russia's first inflatable tactical boat designed for rapid transportation of special forces teams.

A unique feature of the DS-RIB tactical boat is its inflation system. It only takes 45 seconds to inflate the boat from a compressed air cylinder. The inflation system allows to do that right out at sea.

Another advantage of the DS-RIB is its extremely compact size. A pair of folded DS-RIBs will easily fit in the trunk of an SUV. When folded in a shipping case, the boat is less than 500 mm in diameter, allowing to deploy it through a submarine's torpedo tube. The boat can also be airlifted unfolded, sling-mounted to a helicopter.

The boat is available in two options:

• The DS-RIB 450 is 4.5 m long and 1.85 m wide, weighs 70 kg and accommodates eight passengers. The boat is powered by a 50-hp LS engine and has a cruising speed of 50-60 km/h.

• The second option, DS-RIB 530, can accommodate from 10 to 12 people. The larger boat is 5.4 m long and 2.34 m wide, weighing 110 kg. With two 30-hp SS engines, its cruising speed is 40-60 km/h.