The Group is responsible for the development and testing of Combatant craft and associated ordinance and equipment.. She is also responsible for the development and evaluating operational doctrine, tactics and procedures. NSWG-4 monitors and certifies the Combat Readiness of assigned craft and SWCC.

Her Operational areas of responsibility is the Worlds coastal and riverine areas. NSWG-4 is a Staff Organization, commanded by a senior SEAL Captain with many departments filled by SEALs and senior SWCC holding positions in Operations, Training and Command Master Chief.

(01-20-10) Here's a great chart that shows how the SWCC/Boats fit into Naval Special Warfare.  ->

GWV PBRMKI and Monument by NSWG-4 The Modern SWCC never will forget their ROOTS 

NSWG-4 -  ON TARGET a SWCC qualified as Joint Terminal Attack Controller uses video downlink technology to call in Air Support during a Joint Exercise in N.C.

A Special Thanks to Mass Communications Specialist Katt Whittenberger PAO of NSWG-4 (2007-2010) for her support and friendship with warboats.org.

Many of the photos of the Modern SWCC Teams are hers, as well as the stories on warboats.org. It's the PAO's that get the word out on the SWCC Teams and OPSEC in place.

Here is a special selection of her work.

NSWG-4 Sealion on step

Stern View

We now have 3 types of Combatant Craft in the community:
     Combatant Craft-H: Heavy
     Combatant Craft-M: Medium
     Combatant Craft-L: Light 

These will now be the official lingo of our SOF Maritime Surface Craft. We have a lot of stuff in the plans. New Craft are on the horizon, the community is getting larger and healthier, etc....

It is a great time to be part of the SWCC Community. FYI, Commodore Thompson, my boss, will be the guest speaker in the fall at the SBU-11 Reunion.  Take Care and keep in touch!

 R/  Scott  CMDCM(SWCC/SW) Scott Harris Command Master Chief/NSWG-4

(08-18-08) Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 4 transferred to another set of hands during a change of command ceremony July 31 outside NSWG 4 headquarters. Capt. Charles T. Wolf relieved Capt. Evin H. Thompson as commander of NSWG 4.   details here

(04-28-2011) Mobilty of NSW assets is a big Requirement yet often over looked by SEALs and Fast SBT Combatant Craft and SDVs. Yet all need a Base to operate from. The Mobile Seabase for NSW assets is not a new concept. Yet remains behind the scope of glamour in NSW. Yet very much a critical asset for deployed NSW units Often Naval Special warfare will "Contract" a Vessel, often through MSC to support the deploying NSW Units. All Manner of Vessels can be used to meet mission requirements.

One of these Vessels was the HSV-X1 a experimental Ship designed as a High Speed Ferry and it caught the eye of Naval Special Warfare.

It "was" a contract NSW asset. It was used to prove proof of concept...and during Iraqi Freedom it would deploy to WAR in 2003

SBC Tom Folkeson USNR  says..It's no longer in the inventory, but cannot answer if it was a positive experience. I left the day she deployed.

I was supposed to be the SWCC aboard, liaison and navigation adviser. I ended up being the navigation adviser and expert on ECDIS installation, overseeing the contractors installation.  I wrote the NSW HSV NAVDORM. I also made sure the ship was 100% chartless capable. No paper charts needed. It complied with both IMO and USNAVDORM compliance. It took me 6 months of nothing but reading and writing navigation policy from both the Navy's and International Maritime Organization.

They also radically changed out the boat cast and recovery system. Although it was already in the plans, I think I had some influence on the building of it. When I first saw the thing, it was evident it wasn't sturdy enough and time in the water underway was quite hazardous in any WX. They beefed it up and installed a quick release and quick lock system that they just drove the boats onto and a lift system hoisted the boat so they could put it on a trailer much easier. Basically, it was a "Y" shaped lift. The stem of the "Y" was permanently attached to the ship on a hinge and the boats drove into the "Y". The boats would line up and drive to just over ships speed to land onto the platform, once locked into the "Y" cradle, it would hoist the boat. Launching was just the reverse, basically dumped the boat by releasing the lock and starting the engines while sliding down into the water. Thank God I didn't design it, nor had to drive a boat onto it. Pretty rough ride even in calm seas.

All the ships I visited in my quest for info on ECDIS, used a civilian $600.00 Garmin GPS chart plotter for navigation. The Navy's ECDIS took up a 3' wide from deck to overhead space in the charts rooms. The system I over-saw was two computer towers, like your desk top at home, and two 24" screens to navigate by, mouse and ability to correct over satellites by down loading chart corrections straight from the internet secure site. No more erasers and drawing in corrections. It was also real time with inputs for wind, tide, current and even bathometric charts like submarines used. We could also upload photo's of uncharted buildings or landmarks that were unique for visual reference next time someone came into that port.

If it wasn't for the HSV being a leased and foreign built ship, I think I could've been credited with overseeing the first functional and certified "working" ECDIS system in the Navy.

Now, don't go thinking that any of this is secret squirrel, civilians use the very same program every day. ECDIS stands for "Electronic Chart Display Information System". It's full color charting and navigation. All tracks are input into the computer, PIMS are input and the computer figures out the courses, enter speeds and it can calculate/estimate fuel consumption and even predict which navigational stars are in the sky based on your location. It was awesome.  

SBC Tom Folkesson USNR,..... Capt. 100T as a Civilian

USSOCOM Awards New Combatant Craft Contracts (12-29-2011)  The United States Special Operations Command representatives have awarded two Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for the design, build, delivery and testing of test articles for the Combatant Craft, Medium Mark 1 (CCM MK 1) program.  More Here

NAVSPECWARCOM - New assets, changing roles and missions  (12-29-2011)    Established in October 2002, Naval Special Warfare Group-4 (NSWG-4) is tasked to organize, equip, and train Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen at subordinate Special Boat Teams to support Naval Special Warfare (NSW) activities around the world.   More Here

A SWCC from ST-18 down South work with a Nigarauquan boat unit.
 (Added 05-30-2012)