PBR - Patrol Boat River

From 1966-1971, the PBR was one of the primary boats that supported SEALS in Vietnam. Typically operating in pairs, it was heavily armed with single and twin .50 caliber machine guns, 40mm grenade launchers, and M-60 machine guns. It gave SEALS the ability to operate in the shallow rivers and canals of Vietnam by providing an insertion and extraction platform as well as direct fire support when needed. Together, the SEALS and PBRs formed a deadly combination that took the fight into the enemy's own backyard, enabling direct action and other missions in areas that Charlie thought safe and beyond American interdiction. Its hull was reinforced fiberglass with 2 x 180 hp (115 kW) Detroit Diesel 6V53N engines, each driving a Jacuzzi Brothers 14YJ water pump-jet for propulsion and thrust buckets for reverse thrust. It could operate in water depths as little as nine inches. Ceramic and metal plates offered some protection to the crew, and speed was 28.5 knots (53 km/h, 32 mph).

Florida · United States