Silver Ships, Theodore, Ala., has delivered two 26' training boats to the U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School in Key West, Fla., the boatbuilder announced.
The open center-console boats are the first two of three Naval Special Warfare Surface Support Craft added for the Army under an existing Naval Sea Systems Command contract. They are the 14th and 15th boats delivered in the program’s 26' open center-console configuration, according to Silver Ships.
The boats are powered by Mercury SeaPro 250-hp outboards. Army representatives visited Silver Ships on Oct. 28 to observe builder’s trials on the first boat before it was shipped.
Silver Ships builds the surface support craft in 8- and 11-meter (26' and 36') versions with deep-V aluminum hulls and protective collars. The boatbuilder made its first deliveries under the contract in 2023, shipping two 26' and seven 36' open center-console boats.
The Army school, based at Naval Air Station Key West, trains service members in open- and closed-circuit combat diving. Its six-week Combat Diver Qualification Course includes small-boat operations and day and night underwater navigation exercises.
