This Tiny Sub Will Carry Navy SEALs on Their Next Mission

U.S. Navy SEALs might get a new underwater ride which could prove vital in the present era of big-power warfare.

The Dry Combat Submersible (DCS) sub weigh as much as 30 tons. It can carry up to eight SEAL commandos and two crew members for 24 hours or more. The DCS is a fully enclosed mini-sub designed to provide SEALs a safe and warm environment as they get cracking on their missions. 

Both the SEALs and the crew can wear normal clothing and breathe an air supply. Once the SEALS reach their objective, they will have to change into wetsuits and put on a breathing gear and exit into the water through a lockout chamber. If the DCS is surfaced, passengers can exit from two hatches on the top of the hull.

DCS is a miniature submarine with a pressurized hull, it will use lithium-ion batteries for power. As per the Naval News, DCS is built on the U.K.-designed Nemesis mini-sub. Nemesis is 39 feet long, 7.9 feet high, and weighs 31,000 pounds fully loaded. It has a maximum diving depth of 330 feet, a range of 69 miles, and can travel at 5 knots per hour. The vessel’s maximum speed is classified.

Nemesis features sonar, a terrain following/terrain avoidance sonar, and a radio frequencies countermeasures sensor, which means the DCS crew will be able to detect hostile enemy warships based on their radar emissions and then plan a route around them.

The mini-subs became popular in World War II for transporting the frogmen to conduct missions against enemy warships. The small subs were also used to send small teams of naval special forces for coastal missions which allow larger ships to remain out of sight of the enemies.

DCS will be a major upgrade for the naval special warfare capability from the present wet submersible Mark IIIV SEAL Delivery Vehicle. The DCS will be very helpful in landlocked countries in the Middle East and towards the threat of major conflict with countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea.