Offshore Raiding Craft

{{Short description|Small boat used by the Royal Marines}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox ship begin |infobox caption= }} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image=539 Assault Squadron performing a beach assault MOD 45159524.jpg |Ship caption=Royal Marine Offshore Raiding Craft }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Builders= Holyhead Marine Services |Operators= |Class before= |Class after= |Subclasses= |Built range= |In commission range= |Total ships building= |Total ships planned= |Total ships completed= |Total ships cancelled= |Total ships active=Several dozen CRC/ORC as of 2024 (troop-carrying and fire-support variants){{cite web |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/2020s/2023/navy-news-february-2023-issue-823.pdf |title=Royal Navy Fleet Poster |page=21 |date=February 2023|publisher=Ministry of Defence |website=Navy News |access-date=13 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609042122/https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/2020s/2023/navy-news-february-2023-issue-823.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |url-status=dead}} |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired= |Total ships scrapped= |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= Fast Assault Craft |Ship displacement= Light Load 4760 kg inc fuel & 2 crew & armour, Full load 6000 kg |Ship length= 9.1m |Ship beam= 2.9m |Ship draught= Light 0.56 m, Loaded 0.69 m |Ship draft= |Ship propulsion= Twin Steyr M0256K43 high speed diesel engines each developing 250Hp/184Kw at 4300rpm. |Ship speed= Light load 39 knots, Full load 32 knots (ORC); "up to 40 knots" (CRC) |Ship range= In excess of {{convert|200|nmi|km|lk=in}} (ORC and CRC) |Ship complement= 12 Royal Marines (1 driver, 3 gunners, 8 fully equipped troops) |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament= Fwd; single or twin GPMG. Aft 2 off; .50 cal, GPMG or 40mm grenade launchers, Gau mini gun |Ship armour= Dynema ballistic protection to defeat 7.62mm x 39 Ball at 20m. (optional) |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }}

File:British and French Amphibious Assault Craft on Ex Corsican Lion MOD 45154560.jpg

The Offshore Raiding Craft (ORC) is a small, fast boat used by the Royal Marines for troop insertion, and patrols.{{cite web | url=http://www.amgram.co.uk/?portfolio=orc | title=9m Offshore Raiding Craft | publisher=Amgram|location=Shoreham-by-Sea |accessdate=26 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027025251/http://www.amgram.co.uk/?portfolio=orc |archive-date=27 October 2017}} The ORC is primarily used when undertaking strategic raiding missions, where speed and covertness is desired.{{According to whom|date=November 2015}} However, it is equally capable when conducting larger scale amphibious operations alongside the larger and more traditional LCACs, LCUs and LCVPs.{{According to whom|date=November 2015}} [http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/the-equipment/commando/landing-craft Royal Marines - Landing Craft], royalnavy.mod.uk, Retrieved 15 June 2014

There are two variants of the ORC:{{cite web |title=Green men in a boat |magazine=Navy News |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/2000s/2009/navy-news-march-2009-issue-656.pdf |access-date=13 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113205309/https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/2000s/2009/navy-news-march-2009-issue-656.pdf |archive-date=13 January 2023 |page=24 |date=March 2009 |quote=...a new model of their offshore raiding craft (ORC) - the somewhat uninspiringly-named mid-console variant, but let's call it the gunboat as that sums up its role so much more graphically. The existing ORCs - the troop-carrying variant - are designed with the console (the bit where you drive the thing) at the back of the craft, with seats for up to eight men in front...In these new ORCs, the console sits in the middle, allowing the gunners to be arrayed to cover every angle; this gunboat lives up to that title}}{{cite web |title=On land and sea - NATO's Marine forces |website=NATO Multimedia |url=https://www.natomultimedia.tv/app/asset/683182 |access-date=13 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113211451/https://www.natomultimedia.tv/app/asset/683182 |archive-date=13 January 2023 |date=11 January 2023 |quote=So the ORC is our jet boat and we’ve got two variants. We’ve got the troop carrying variant, which can take six people and deliver them onto a beach, and then we’ve also got the fire support variant and that’s our kind of protection while we’re out on the water.}}

• Mid Console Variant (MCV), {{aka}} the Fire Support Variant
• Aft Console Variant (ACV), {{aka}} the Troop Carrying Variant