Stavros Atlamazoglou

SEAL teams to get new clandestine underwater craft

As the Pentagon shifts its gaze from low-intensity conflicts to nation-level adversaries, the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is following suit, and the Navy SEAL teams are eager to prove their strategic utility in the rediscovered domain.

SOCOM and the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) are focusing their efforts on two underwater craft: a Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS) and a Dry Combat Submersible (DCS). The former is intended to replace the MK-8, Mod 1 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV).

The DCS will enable frogmen to stay warmer throughout their insertion to the target, which would translate into less fatigued SEALs and thus more combat-effectiveness. But the SWCS will enable SEALs to navigate littoral waters easier. Consequently, the choice of which platform to employ in an operation would depend on the environment and the objectives.

Capt. Katherine Dolloff, SOCOM’s program executive officer for maritime systems, said to National Defense, the “SWCS brings increased payload and range, updated sensors, an improved navigation system and a modernized command-and-control architecture to permit the rapid integration of new technologies.”

SDVs are used to clandestinely transport frogmen on their target. They have the ability to stealthily remain underwater for many hours and can evade most underwater detection systems.

The SWCS is about 23 feet long, while the DCS is about 40 feet long and four times heavier, but it also sports a longer effective range than the shallow water version.

Lockheed Martin and Submergence Group, a British company, have been manufacturing the DCS. By next year, SOCOM anticipates having five SWCSs and three DCSs operational.

This development comes in a pertinent moment. Recently, the NSWC decided to reactivate SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team (SDVT-2) after an absence of 11 years. SDVT-2 will serve as the dedicated East Coast SDV unit.

An SDV Task Unit is an operational outfit responsible for planning, coordinating, and operating submersible systems. SDV Task Units are usually comprised of a combination of SDV/SEAL platoons. SEALs serving on SDV teams have completed the same training as their “regular” SEAL team colleagues but also have received additional specialized training on the operation of SDVs.

The reactivation of SDVT-2 delineates the strategic shift that is currently underway in the SOCOM. During the 2019 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference that took place in May, the new SOCOM commander, Gen. Richard Clarke, said America’s SOF units must reorient their focus to nation-level adversaries. China and Russia are – and will be in the near future — the main threats. SEAL teams, and their SDVs, would be of great strategic value in the South China Sea, where China is swamping the place with artificial islands.

Feature image: A Navy diver and special operator from SEAL Delivery Team (SDV) 2 perform SDV operations with the nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) for material certification. Material certification allows operators to perform real-world operations anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Navy Photo courtesy of DVIDS).

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

How Special Forces operators commemorate their lineage

What a better way to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day then by jumping into Normandy?

Green Berets assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conducted static line and free-fall parachute drops on a drop zone in Normandy, France, last week. The Air Force’s 352nd Special Operations Wing and 86th Airlift Wing provided three MC-130J Commando II aircraft for the drop. In total, close 135 American paratroopers jumped, some with the exact same gear their forefathers used on D-Day.

“Overall it was a great jump. It was smooth and went as planned,” said a Green Beret from the 10th SFG in a statement to DVIDS. “It’s an outstanding experience to be able to honor the paratroopers who jumped into France during World War II.”

The local mayor, David Nicholas, said: “We invited them because it’s a very good opportunity to have them jump at Avranches to start the World War II commemorations and celebrations leading up to the anniversary of the liberation of Avranches. It’s also good because today we are opening a new exhibition about World War II in Normandy at the history museum.”

The 10th SFG was the first Special Forces Group to be activated in 1952. Its area of operations includes Europe and North Africa. It has a battalion forward-deployed to Germany.

Representing the French military, Sgt. Maj. Pierre-Andre Integlia, who is the senior non-commissioned officer of the French airborne section of the French Military Academy, said: “We’re here to facilitate the exercise, and work in accordance with the civilian authorities as part of the French and American partnership for D-Day celebrations. It’s a privilege to help commemorate the Allied veterans and their part in the liberation of France.”

Another 10th SFG operator said the jump was a way to trace back their unit’s lineage, and specifically Jedburgh teams of the Office of Strategic Services, which is considered the predecessor of both the CIA and the U.S. Special Operations Command.

“We’re celebrating their combined effort to liberate Western Europe with local forces,” added the operator, who had to remain anonymous for operational security reasons. “The airborne operation celebrates the long relationship between America and France and 10th SFG’s commitment to continuing the tradition of training and working with our allies in Europe.”

In addition to these commemorative jumps, 600 movie theaters across the U.S. will be screening the critically acclaimed movie, “Saving Private Ryan.”

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Feature image: A Special Forces soldier from the U.S. Army’s 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) prepares to land on the drop zone near Mont Saint Michel, Avranches, France on May 18, 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alexis K. Washburn).

Adjust target: MARSOC Marines caught running a tactical gear contraband gig

Five Marines from the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), have been arrested for stealing government property worth more than $300,000 and then selling it on the black market.

In the span of two years, two separate theft rings run by Marine special operators allegedly stole vehicle parts and tactical gear.

The first theft ring was run by four Marines, two lance corporals and two corporals. Between 2017 and 2018, the four allegedly stole tactical gear such as SureFire flashlights, magazines, rifle buttstocks, and flashbang grenades.

The second theft ring was operated by a lance corporal. In 2016, the unnamed Marine is accused of breaking into the motor pool of the 3rd Raider Battalion and the II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group motor transport lot in two instances. He also snuck into a vehicle lot packed with Logistics Vehicle System Replacement trucks.

All in all, he allegedly stole gear that included “flashbang diversionary hand grenades, tool kits, multi-meters, BF Goodrich Baja tires, plate carriers, helmets, M16 magazines, military medical kits, fog lights, wire harnesses, headlights and composite lights.”

“These actions are not consist [sic] with Marine Forces Special Operations Command values and deter from our priority mission of deploying special operations forces,” said Gunnery Sgt. Lynn Kinney, a representative of Marine Forces/Special Operations Command, in a statement to the Marine Corps Times.

According to the Times, which had access to the charge sheets, the stolen tactical gear was sold to private individuals and pawn shops in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

“We are committed to accountability against any violation of the standards we set for our Marines,” added Gunnery Sergeant Kinney.

All five Marines that ran the theft rings were court-martialed and sentenced to confinement ranging from five to 28 months. They were also demoted and kicked out of the Marine Corps. The Corps hasn’t acknowledged if the Marine perpetrators were support personnel or Marine Raiders, but all of them were assigned to the 3rd Raider Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Activated in 2006, MARSOC is the latest addition to the U.S. Special Operations Command. The command is composed of three Marine Raider Battalions, with each battalion containing four Marine Special Operations Companies (MSOCs), with each MSOC having four Marine Special Operations Teams. The command only adopted the title Marine Raiders in 2015 after much controversy. The title was inspired by Marine commandos who conducted special operations raids against the Japanese in the Pacific theatre during the Second World War.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Feature image: U.S. Marine Raider instructor of the 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion teaching advanced weapons training. (DVIDS photo)

Goodbye, Little Bird: Special Operations Command to replace legendary helicopter

According to the U.S. Special Operation Command’s (USSOCOM) acquisition executive, James Smith, the unit’s Little Bird helicopters might be experiencing their final years as America’s light special operations helicopters.

Smith made the statement during the NDIA Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict Symposium, which took place last February. He indicated that the most likely replacement for the venerable Little Bird would be a variant of the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Capability Set 1. The FVL program aims to upgrade the Army’s light, medium, and heavy-lift helicopters.

SOCOM will make its final decision in 2024. It will either be to further upgrade the Little Bird or to replace it with a variant from the FVL program. By that point, however, the Little Bird fleet will have been operating continuously for many years under extreme combat conditions. It seems more likely, then, that SOCOM will want to procure a new helicopter rather than upgrade an old one.

A few years ago, SOCOM’s Little Bird fleet underwent a modernization and upgrade program dubbed the Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB) program. The MELB upgraded the previous version (AH-6J and MH-6J) by adding an additional blade to the craft’s main rotor (bringing the total number of blades to six), improving the tail rotor drive system and tail boom, enlarging the aft doors of the cabin to allow for easier egress of operators, and enhancing its landing gear.

In December, SOCOM awarded Boeing two significant contracts to upgrade its helicopter fleet. The first contract, which is a seven-year program worth $1.1 billion, was for the maintenance of the current MH-47 Chinook and MH-60 Blackhawk fleet. The second contract, worth $48 million, was for the production of an unspecified number of MELB kits. Both contracts are expected to be fulfilled by December 2026.

The Boeing AH-6 is a light attack helicopter. Flown by the 160^th SOAR, the chopper specializes in armed reconnaissance, direct action, and close air support. It can be outfitted with a variety of weapons, to include the GAU-19 .50 caliber Gatling gun, M134 Minigun, and Hellfire or Stinger missiles.

The MH-6 is the unarmed version of the chopper. Its small size and extreme maneuverability make it an ideal aerial platform to surgically insert and extract SOF units from targets. It can even carry motorcycles or support ground troops by carrying snipers. Jack Murphy has had some experience in that role.

Both versions of the helicopter are equipped with a Rockwell Collins digital glass cockpit, which comes with two multifunction LCD screens/control display units on top of the glass and is night vision compatible. Pilots can see their aircraft’s critical displays without diverting their gaze from the front.

The Little Bird helicopter is being manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) is currently operating approximately 51 AH-6M and MH-6M Little Birds.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Feature photo by Spc. Tony Hawkins, USASOC PAO

US Special Operations Command reveals new helmet for operators

American commandos will soon be going into combat protected by a new, high-tech helmet. According to a statement by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Gentex Corporation has been awarded a contract worth $95 million to supply SOCOM with its Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet.

Gentex manufactures a number of different models of protective headgear. The Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet, however, is the most advanced. According to a company description, the helmet has a “revolutionary ergonomic shell geometry…providing the highest level of ballistic protection at the lightest weight. Designed for combat operations, these shells provide different ballistic protection levels and cuts to suit the range of mission and comms needs.”

The high-cut specification allows for more communications and hearing protection systems. That does, however, come at the cost of less protection on the side of the helmet.

The Army’s current combat helmet is also manufactured by Gentex and is a mid-cut model, meaning that it offers more ear protection but is also heavier and less accommodating of communications and hearing protection systems.

SOCOM first announced its intent to procure a new helmet for its operators back in March 2017. The initial call for proposals stated that the minimum value of the contract would be $150,000 and the maximum would be $95 million. Gentex was awarded the maximum possible contract for an unspecified number of helmets. Note: On the retail market, the Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet currently costs $1,690.

Interestingly, some special operations units have already been using the Ops-Core FAST SF Super High Cut Helmet. The Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), for instance, has been fielding the helmet, alongside other models, to its Marine Raiders for some time now. In May 2018, a representative from the Marine Corps Systems Command (SYSCOM) told the Marine Corps Times, “The Marine Corps is buying a small quantity of mid-cut and high-cut helmets to conduct ballistic testing and limited user evaluations to develop a better understanding of the trade-offs between ballistic protection, situational awareness, and hearing system integration. For now, this is only a research and development effort.”

The balance between ballistic protection, weight, and comfort is always a precarious one. If the helmet doesn’t provide sufficient protection to the operator, then it’s worthless. If, on the other hand, the helmet is too heavy, the operator will be less effective on operations.

One thing is certain: SOCOM and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which commands Delta Force and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)—also known as SEAL Team 6—among other tier-one units, have come a long way since the hockey-style helmets operators once used in combat operations.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou from NEWSREP

Feature image: U.S. Navy Sea, Air, and Land Team Members prepare for military jump operations during exercise TRIDENT 18-4 at Hurlburt Field, Florida, 09 July, 2018. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Corban Lundborg).