The Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS), also known as the Mark 11 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV Mk 11), is a crewed, wet (free-flooding)

submersible A submersible is an underwater vehicle which needs to be transported and supported by a larger ship, watercraft or dock, platform. This distinguishes submersibles from submarines, which are self-supporting and capable of prolonged independent ope ...

that serves as a

swimmer delivery vehicle A diver propulsion vehicle (DPV), also known as an underwater propulsion vehicle, sea scooter, underwater scooter, or swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) by armed forces, is an item of diving equipment used by scuba divers to increase range underwa ...

for special-operations missions by United States Navy SEALs. Designed to replace the Mark 8 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV Mk 8) on a 1-to-1 basis,

Teledyne Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is an American industrial conglomerate. It was founded in 1960, as Teledyne, Inc. by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky. From August 1996 to November 1999, Teledyne existed as part of the conglomerate Al ...

was awarded a contract to deliver 10 units for a cost of $179 million. The first two ships were delivered in 2018, with the last units planned for delivery in 2022. The SWCS will serve alongside the pressurized Dry Combat Submersible (DCS), a

midget submarine A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, from which they are launched an ...

developed by

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

to replace the cancelled Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS).

History

The SWCS program was initiated in 2008, after the cancellation of the ASDS, the anticipated replacement for the SEAL Delivery Vehicle. Teledyne Brown Engineering was awarded the $383 million contract to develop the SWCS in 2011, which provides for the construction of 10 submersibles and one training vessel, the first of which was supposed to enter service in 2018. However, delays and cost overruns began as early as 2015, leading Congress to halve the funds available for the program in the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act. , the prototype boat had been built and was undergoing testing, while introduction was pushed back to 2019. By October, two subs had been delivered to the Navy. In September 2018 the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale of 3 SWCSs to the United Kingdom for a total of $90 million.

Design

The SWCS is longer and taller than its predecessor, the Mark 8 SDV. The SWCS will have a longer range and higher payload capacity than its predecessor. As such, it will also be about heavier than its predecessor. Its hull is made from aluminum. The SWCS will also have more advanced computer systems and better navigation, with new systems including a "sensor mast" with an electro-optical

periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...

, wireless and wired communication between crew members,

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects o ...

detectors, and sonar-assisted automatic docking. The computer bus and sensor mast are designed as modular systems so that individual sensors or systems can be swapped out as required by an individual mission and upgraded as desired. Like its predecessor, the SWCS will carry six SEALs: a pilot, a co-pilot/navigator, and four passengers. The SWCS can be deployed from surface ships, land, and

Dry Deck Shelter A dry deck shelter (DDS) is a removable module that can be attached to a submarine to allow divers easy exit and entrance while the boat is submerged. The host submarine must be specially modified to accommodate the DDS, with the appropriate matin ...

s (DDS) on submarines, although the third option is preferred for stealth reasons. Compared to the DCS it will serve alongside, the SWCS will be able to enter areas that the DCS cannot. It will also be deployable from submarines, a capability that the DCS lacked as of 2015. The SWCS's larger dimensions will require expanding the DDS to accommodate it. The Navy plans to lengthen the DDS by and triple its weight capacity. SWCS pool testing

References

{{Underwater diving, divequ Submarines of the United States Navy United States Navy SEALs Wet subs Midget submarines