33-foot special purpose craft-law enforcement (SPC-LE) small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Key West, Fla., pulls alongside CGC Eagle in Atlantic April 13,2012.Several types of SPCs.SPC-LE ideal platform to interdict drug smugglers’ go-fast boats can plane in under 3seconds top speed 60mph+.Enclosed heated air-conditioned cabin has shock mitigating seats, reducing fatigue, capable of operating more than 30 miles from shore. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Brandyn Hill

Defence Blog reports that the Navy will be buying some boats for the Coast Guard, as well as boats for Naval Special Warfare Command. The boats for the Coast Guard are of a type already in the Coast Guard inventory. They are typed, “Coast Guard (USCG) Special Purpose Craft – Law Enforcement II (SPC-LE II).”

I presume that since the Navy is paying for these, they will be used by the two Maritime Force Protection Units that escort Ballistic Missile submarines (SSBNs) during surface transit to and from bases in Kings Bay and Bangor.

The boats are described by the Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9) as follows:

A new, high-speed boat to interdict smugglers’ “go-fast” craft, the SPCLE is derived from the proven U.S. Department of Homeland Security 33-foot Defender-class boats. The SPCLE features three Mercury Verado 275hp outboard motors, a zero to plane time under three seconds, and a top speed of more than 60 miles per hour. The fully enclosed heated and air conditioned cabin, with as many as six shock mitigating seats, reduces crew fatigue and allows operations in heavier seas. With a forward gunner’s station and increased operational range, the 33-foot SPCLE is an ideal law enforcement platform.

Characteristics

Length: 35.4 feet
Beam: 10 feet
Draft: 30 inches
Displacement: 11,960 pounds
Maximum Speed: 60+ knots
Range: 250 nautical miles
Crew: six

The report talks about 110 boats total but does not provide a breakdown to indicate how many will be going to the Coast Guard. It is possible this will be a replacement for the boats described above, similar but perhaps not identical. The will be powered by three outboards. There is a listing here that provides information on how they will be outfitted.