Carlson emphasized that there are no studies currently under way for any future changes to the fleet, offering, “These are the boats for the long term. And we will just replace them with very similar boats as necessary. There is no ‘skunk works’ or any plans for new, leap-ahead platforms. We think we’ve got the platforms identified. What we do from here is just work to modernize things like subsystems where possible.”
Examples of investing in proven subsystems to enhance the capability of combatant craft, as well as leveraging larger Navy and joint service common efforts, include a focus on subsystems like the next-generation Combatant Craft Forward Looking Infrared (CCFLIR), Stabilized Small Arms Mount (SSAM), and the integration of small missile systems, like Spike or Switchblade, that could potentially be installed on NSW craft.
Maritime Mobility Undersea
Along with its surface mobility, the NSW community has always had an undersea requirement to conduct selected, clandestine operations. One of the keys to the successful completion of those missions has been and continues to be a fleet of critical undersea mobility platforms.
NSW’s undersea mobility program has witnessed several significant changes over the past few years as planners have worked to understand options and explore technologies in the aftermath of the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) program, explained John Green, N84 Maritime Mobility Systems manager. That single platform sustained major damage during a fire in 2008, and in July 2009, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) announced that competing funding priorities prevented repair of the ASDS.
UOES 1, the S301i dry submersible vehicle, is shown undergoing evaluation. Lockheed Martin photo
ASDS was followed by a similar program, designated Joint Multi-Mission Submersible (JMMS), but that effort also did not survive subsequent budget decisions.
Specifically, while the 67-foot-long ASDS incorporated a wide range of mandated capabilities from both USSOCOM and NAVSEA communities, the current USSOCOM-directed UOES 1-3 efforts feature craft roughly half the length of ASDS and focus at this stage not on NAVSEA certifications but rather on commercial certifications through International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) processes.
However, a continuing requirement to facilitate “dry” transit of NSW personnel from platform to shore for some mission sets has set the stage for user operational evaluations on multiple Dry Combat Submersible (DCS) prototypes – designated as User Operational Evaluation Systems (UOES) 1, 2, and 3 – as well as support activities for the current inventory of “wet” submersible platforms.
Green described “a new approach” regarding “dry” submersible systems, directed toward curbing some overall system capabilities in favor of a more rapid and cost-effective fielding process. Specifically, while the 67-foot-long ASDS incorporated a wide range of mandated capabilities from both USSOCOM and NAVSEA communities, the current USSOCOM-directed UOES 1-3 efforts feature craft roughly half the length of ASDS and focus at this stage not on NAVSEA certifications but rather on commercial certifications through International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) processes.
UOES 1 prototype S301i is a commercially constructed 1 atmosphere dry submersible from Lockheed Martin and Submergence Group LLC and is manufactured at MSubs Ltd. (Plymouth, U.K.). The submersible, which measures 23.8 feet long by 7.7 feet beam by 5.8 feet high (main compartment), was leased by the NSW community beginning in November 2013. The craft is capable of carrying six SOF passengers and two SOF pilots at maximum speeds of up to 7.6 knots.
The lease activities are funded in large part by a $35 million congressional plus-up to reduce program risk prior to a potential future dry submersible acquisition.
A SOCOM data sheet supplying specifics of three dry submersibles under consideration by NSW. SOCOM graphic
According to Green, the craft performed its first SEAL-directed familiarization dive in early February 2014 at the Lockheed Martin facility in Riviera Beach, Fla. Significantly, that scenario did not include NAVSEA certification, but rather relied on the Germanischer Lloyd Class certification augmented with a USSOCOM/WARCOM Hazard Analysis Review. He noted that the prototype, which is now on its way to Panama City, Fla., will be used to help the command further define its critical requirements and understand issues surrounding things like IACS certifications.
Work with the UOES 1 prototype will also help the command prepare for the arrival of two more prototype platforms.
UOES 2, which is now slated for delivery in July 2014, is also being built at MSubs Ltd. under an 18-month firm fixed price development contract. The largest of the three prototypes, it measures approximately 39.1 feet in length, 7.21 feet in beam, and 8.18 feet high. It will be capable of carrying eight SOF passengers plus two SOF pilots at a maximum speed of 10 knots.
Green said that the primary requirement for the UOES 2 prototype was a stated NSW need for the system to fit inside a 40-foot milvan (high cube shipping container), allowing the system to be placed inside an ISO box and placed on a ship.