Force Recon Platoon | RHIB

Marines with the 26th Expeditionary Unit's Force Recon Platoon train their M4a1 carbines towards the target vessel as they approach in a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) during Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) training.

Note the long boarding ladder carried by the team.

This piece of equipment features a curved end for hooking on to a vessel's handrails and allows the MIO team to board vessels with a high freeboard (height between a ship’s deck and its waterline).

When deployed on the float with their assigned MEU, Force Recon Platoons may be tasked with MIO missions such as storming pirate-held ships and operations on gas/oil platforms (GOPLATs).

FRPs regularly train in MIO in order to retain the various associated skill sets.