Swiftboats in Iraq

Blackfive describes the return of the riverine patrol boat in the waterways around Ramadi.

Their 40-foot patrol boats are built for difficult water. The 800-horsepower diesel engines can push the boats to more than 40 knots in 9 inches of water when on plane. They use jet drives instead of props, enabling them to run in shallow water and turn quicker. Skippers run the boats in the dark with night-vision goggles.