Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure

(VBSS) is the term for maritime boarding actions and tactics, designed to capture enemy vessels, to combat terrorism, piracy and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety and other inspections, as employed by modern navies, marine and maritime services, military and police forces.

United States Navy training begins with non-lethal-weapons (NLW) training and handling including withstanding OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) "pepper spray" and then moves on to Security Reaction Force-Basic (SRF-B), Security Reaction Force-Advanced (SRF-A), and VBSS. The initial training continuum includes three courses lasting a total of eight weeks, with some team members receiving additional follow-on training. Skills taught in the VBSS Close Quarters Battle (CQB) courses include tactical movement and shooting, defensive tactics, rappelling, searching, and other team skills. Some units, known as Helicopter Visit, Board, Search, and Siezure (HVBSS) teams have been trained to fast rope aboard vessels from helicopters.

Regular sailors in the Navy are eligible to serve aboard VBSS teams depending on the ship's command structure. The majority of US Naval ships that deploy VBSS teams are smaller ships such as guided missile destroyers, guided missile frigates, etc. VBSS teams are used to combat illegal narcotics and arms trafficking and piracy.

USN VBSS teams are generally armed with Mk 18 or M4 carbines as well as Mossberg 500 shotguns and Beretta M9 pistols. The body armor is generally of the kevlar, law enforcement type with ballistic plate inserts and a buoyant tactical vest that doubles as a life preserver.

Note: The article above was copied from Wikipedia (April 2010)