A rescue craft is a boat, ship or aircraft used in rescuing.
The most common are lifeboats for inshore and closer-to-shore rescues, with helicopters and ships used farther out.[citation needed]
Most government agencies[vague] rely on larger ships for rescues further from shore such as Royal Navy ships in the UK and Coast Guard Cutters used in the US. Similarly, the UK rescues use both Royal Air Force SAR and UK Coastguard personnel for helicopter rescues, and in the US the United States Coast Guard is tapped.