Offshore Raiding Craft
The Offshore Raiding Craft is a small, fast boat used by the Royal Marines for troop insertion, and patrols. The ORC is primarily used when undertaking strategic raiding missions, where speed and covertness is desired. However, it is equally capable when conducting larger scale amphibious operations alongside the larger and more traditional LCACs, Landing [Craft Utility|LCUs] and LCVPs.
There are two variants of the ORC:
Commando Raiding Craft
In 2023, 23 of the original 35 ORC were reportedly donated to Ukraine. They were replaced in U.K. service by the upgraded Commando Raiding Craft. The CRC is fitted with three general purpose machine guns or.50 heavy machine gun mounts, as well as protection against enemy fire for the troops inside. The CRC has a speed of up to 40 knots, a range of 200 nautical miles and can be underslung from a helicopter or deployed from ships of various sizes. They incorporate a new configuration with driving position moved from the back to front for better manoeuvrability and employ a more sophisticated electronic suite for communications and navigation.