Image source: topwar.ru
At the industrial conference of the US Special Operations Forces, the issue of upgrading the vehicles and equipment used by the special forces of the Navy during their operations was raised. Navy Captain Randy Slaff, Executive Director of the Maritime program, noted that the main tasks now are to improve communication systems and achieve more efficient use of power and energy.
A number of devices and many specialists are involved in helping the seal to complete the task or return from it. One of the main problems of the Navy's special forces is that underwater delivery vehicles are significantly outdated. They have been used by the navy since the early 1980s, that is, for forty years. We are talking about MK 8 and MK 11 – mini-submarines that are supposed to deliver seals to their destination in underwater gear.
As representatives of the US Navy noted at the conference, the MK 11 is heavier than the MK 8, but has more impressive capabilities. In the US Navy, MK 11 SWCS replace the aging MK 8 SDV (SEAL Delivery Vehicle). MK 11 has been developed since 2011. But the military doubts that it will be fully upgraded by 2027. Now the special forces of the US Navy are looking for new possible ways to launch underwater saboteurs from surface or submarines.
Navy Captain Grady Hill, executive director of the Special Purpose Underwater Systems program, notes that 40 ships built in the early 1980s by the company now known as Huntington Ingalls Industries have had their service life extended to 2051. The modification led to an increase in the ship's carrying capacity by 30%.
As for SEAL Team 8, the device expects delivery in the coming weeks. According to him, this year the Navy's special forces are planning to conduct shore tests, and in 2023 - additional tests. As for the surface ships for SEAL, they are either already being upgraded or are in the process of upgrading.
US Navy Captain Rocky Russell, a former head of surface ship programs, noted that now the special operations forces are pinning new hopes on the ships. So, the mini-submarine has a crew of four people and can accommodate up to 19 passengers with full sets of weapons. The boat also has the capabilities to transport a large number of weapons.
