PBR Patrol Boat Riverine 3D model

cgtrader

Patrol boats designated by the United States Navy as PBRs or River or Patrol Boats were deployed in Vietnam from March 1966 until the end of 1971. They made up a force growing to 250 vessels, becoming the most common boat used by the River Patrol Force, Task Force 116. These craft were used to inspect river traffic and check cargo at points such as the Mekong Delta, the Rung Sat Special Zone, the Saigon River and in I Corps areas. The PBRs featured versatile designs with fiberglass hulls that utilized water jet propulsion for efficient operation in shallow waters choked with weeds. Fully loaded, they only required a two-foot draft, allowing them to navigate shallower rivers. This capability allowed PBR drivers to quickly reverse direction or come to a stop, utilizing pivoting drives that turned the boat on its own length within just a few boat lengths. Following the Vietnam War era deployment, a limited number of operational PBRs continued with U.S. Naval Reserve units until 1995 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California prior to base closure resulting from BRAC actions taken in that same year. Today some PBRs reside in museums and private collections while a few continue operation among specialized communities and enthusiast groups.