Home News Maritime Security Pentagon awards $41 million contract for Special Forces combat submersibles

Pentagon awards $41 million contract for Special Forces combat submersibles

US Navy SEALs prepare to launch a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) mini-submarine from the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Philadelphia (SSN 690) during a training exercise. Photo by Mate Andrew McKaskle

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that Teledyne Brown Engineering, industry leader in engineered systems and advanced manufacturing, was awarded a $41 million contract for production and delivery of MK11  Shallow Water Combat Submersibles (SWCS) and provide related engineering services.

Teledyne Brown Engineering is the Prime Contractor for the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Shallow Water Combat Submersible. The SWCS vehicle contract was awarded on the basis of design. The contract consists of design, systems engineering, test and evaluation, systems integration, manufacturing, training, configuration management, quality assurance, logistics, and program management.

The MK11 SWCS is a mini-submarine, designed for operation by specialist U.S. Navy SEAL special forces teams.

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The Special Forces combat submersible used to transport navy divers and their combat gear to and from hostile shores for special operations missions.

According to HI Sutton, MK11 SWCS carry a pilot, co-pilot, and four person combat swimmer team and their equipment to and from maritime mission objectives on land or at sea. The pilot and co-pilot are often a part of the fighting team.

The new SWCS was designed to replace the Mark 8 SDV, improving a variety of capabilities including range, speed, payload, navigation and communications, all based on a modern modular subsystem design to ease processor and sensor upgrades.

In September 2018, The Defense Post reported that the Shallow Water Combat Submersible is deployable from surface ships as well as from larger submarines able to carry the Dry-Deck Shelter used to launch the vessel.

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