The design of Watercat M14 Special Operations & Law Enforcement Craft is based on a proven M12 military landing craft in operational service in the Finnish Defense Forces. M14 is larger vessel than M12 and thus designed for versatile high-speed operations against seaborne terrorist and illegal activities for Law Enforcement and HLS forces around the world. Vessel is suitable also for Visit, Board, Search & Seizure (VBSS), Search and Rescue (SAR) and EOD diving operations.
Vessel can be ballistic protected and carry up to 20+ operators with their equipment’s on shock absorbed seats in covered troop compartment and wheelhouse. The detachable wheelhouse is situated on top of the engine room for easy maintenance and the cargo hold/troop compartment is in front of the wheelhouse. Vessel’s manually and hydraulically operated hatches and bow ramp ensure fast deployment, loading and unloading of operators with their equipment’s.
M14 vessels can be equipped with advanced navigation, compact C3 systems and versatile weapon systems such as 7.62mm and 12.7mm machine guns as well as 40mm grenade launchers or light SSM/SAM or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), all suitable for versatile Special Operations & Law Enforcement tasks and operations. In the design, special attention has been paid to vessel’s easy and cost-effective maintenance during its life cycle. Thus, the vessel’s operational sustainability is very high.
The low draft in high speed (approximately 1m) enables the boats to operate e.g., in disaster and crisis areas such as river and estuary environments as well as in the littoral, confined and shallow waters, landing on beaches or on an unimproved area. The vessel has been specially designed for archipelago, coastal and offshore operations worldwide with an effective heating and air-conditioning system allowing to operate in extreme hot and cold as well as arid or humid climates.
The hull is made of marine-grade aluminium and the construction is all welded. The propulsion is two waterjets powered by two diesel engines giving a top speed over 40k with full load. Sprint speed for the lightweight vessel can be reached over 45k. The waterjet system gives the boat excellent maneuverability and when necessary, the boat can be stopped almost within one boat’s length from full ahead. An essential advantage in coastal use is that, due to the waterjet propulsion, the bottom of the boat is perfectly smooth which enables the boat to operate safely in very shallow waters. Safety during the transportation and easy maneuverability in every speed and sea states of its operating environment is paramount.
