The Dry Combat Submersible ( DCS ) is a midget submarine delivered to USSOCOM by Lockheed Martin . Lockheed Martin were nominated as the prime contractor with Submergence Group as the sub contractor. DCS is designed for use by the United States Navy SEALs for insertion on special operations missions. It will replace the canceled Advanced SEAL Delivery System and will serve alongside the Shallow Water Combat Submersible .
28-745: As the name suggests, the Dry Combat Submersible has a dry interior, enabling longer mission durations in colder water. The DCS is designated the S351 Nemesis. Lockheed Martin and the Submergence Group were awarded the $ 166 million, 5-year contract to develop and build three DCSs in June 2016. By 2018, the total spent on the submersibles rose to $ 236 million. The DCS reached initial operational capability in May 2023, with 2 submersibles completed and delivered to
56-404: A Defence Line of Development in itself, the unifying theme of 'interoperability' is considered to ensure a holistic approach to capability integration. The UK Ministry of Defence cites Interoperability as an overarching theme that must be considered when any Defence Line of Development is being addressed. The Australian Defence Organisation also analyses its capabilities in similar dimensions -
84-489: A fore transport compartment for carrying troops, an amidships swimmer lock-in/lock-out compartment , and an aft command center where the pilot and co-pilot operate the sub. Though its exact performance remains classified, the DCS is stated to have a maximum depth rating of 100 metres (330 ft) and Lock In and Out maximum depth of 30 metres (98 ft). Its batteries give it a range of 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) at
112-417: A limited number of users with plans to roll out to all users incrementally over a period (possibly incorporating changes along the way). The point at which the first users begin using the capability is IOC, with FOC achieved when all intended users (by agreement between the developer and the user) have the capability. This does not preclude additional users from obtaining the capability after FOC. Alternatively
140-406: A portfolio of capabilities that are used in various combinations to achieve outcomes. Within that portfolio, a capability will be transient unless managed and maintained over time. Therefore, a typical capability lifecycle spans needs, requirements, acquisition, in-service and obsolescence/disposal phases. While a highly developed management discipline within several national military organisations,
168-425: A specified course of action is to be executed. The ability to execute the specified course of action depends on many factors and the relationship between those factors. Capabilities can be described as one or more sequences of activities, referred to as operational threads. The threads are composed of a set of activities that can be grouped to form the basis for a mission area architecture. The architecture then provides
196-534: A speed of 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph), although its maximum speed is not public. Lockheed Martin claims that the DCS has an endurance greater than 24 hours, triple that of the current SEAL Delivery Vehicle and twice that of the Shallow Water Combat Submersible the DCS will serve alongside. Unlike its predecessor, the Dry Combat Submersible will be deployed from surface ships rather than from larger submarines. Surface ships will lower it into
224-576: Is a response to the confirmed reports of Russian unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) that the Russian Navy has employed in its war games since at least 2013 as reported to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. The Dry Combat Submersible has been developed from MSub's existing S302 mini-sub, which is itself an improved version of the S301i. Both the S302 and S301i are produced for export by MSubs in collaboration with
252-419: Is often used in government or military procurement . The United States Department of Defense chooses to use the term initial operational capability when referring to IOC. For a U.S. Department of Defense military acquisition , IOC includes operating the training and maintaining parts of the overall system per DOTMLPF , and is defined as: "In general, attained when some units and/or organizations in
280-506: The US Navy . The Dry Combat Submersible is 12 metres (39 ft) long and has a beam and height of 2.4 metres (7.9 ft). The submersible weighs 14 tonnes (31,000 lb) fully loaded and has a displacement of 28 tonnes (62,000 lb). It can be transported in a standard 40-foot shipping container . The DCS has a crew of two–a pilot and a co-pilot/navigator–and carries eight fully equipped SEALs. The DCS has three dry, pressurized sections:
308-522: The DCS than in previous wet submarines, where they had to rely on intercoms and could not see each other. SEALs deploy from the DCS in diving gear and swim the rest of the way to their target. The DCS' navigational systems include an inertial navigation system and Doppler Velocity Log . The sensor suite consists of sonar and a fathometer , although additional sensors can be added depending on mission requirements. The communications equipment includes an underwater telephone and UHF radio. This vehicle
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#1732851462942336-410: The Submergence Group. The S301i is capable of fitting in the dry deck shelters used on larger American and British submarines, although the S302 and the DCS are larger than the S301i and so cannot fit in dry deck shelters. The design and requirements for the DCS were initially formulated by the U.S. Special Operations Command as early as 2014, although the technology to make the DCS did not catch up to
364-409: The capability will be developed in the future, for example by modifications or adjustments to improve the system's performance, deployment of greater numbers of systems (perhaps of different types), or testing and training that permit wider application of the capability. Once the capability is fully developed, full operational capability may be declared. For example, the capability may be fielded to
392-403: The complexities of system-of-systems integration, interoperability, and the dynamic nature of operations, capability management is greatly assisted by modelling and simulating realistic strategic scenarios and contexts, in order to inform business cases and decision-making. Through those considerations and practices, the enterprise and its performance can be continuously assessed and projected into
420-427: The concepts, principles and practices of capability management are readily adaptable and effective for application in the strategy and operations of many other enterprises. The Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System Manual, CJCSM 3170.01, states that definitions of identified capabilities must satisfy two rules: Capabilities are organized around concepts of operations (CONOPS), which describe how
448-498: The development is, or a casual view that some other event constitutes IOC like when it is first turned on. (Both of these are meaningless to formal program state or contractual actions, but the progress or event are meaningful in other senses.) Capability Management Capability management is a high-level management function, with particular application in the context of defense . Capability management aims to balance economy in meeting current operational requirements , with
476-404: The dimensions of "DOTMLPF", being: Interoperability concerns all capability dimensions, therefore NATO has extended the seven capability dimensions by the cross-cutting aspect of Interoperability and uses the acronym "DOTMLPF-I". The UK Ministry of Defence uses a similar breakdown of Defence Lines of Development as follows: The mnemonic "Tepid oil" is used to remember these. Though not
504-600: The enterprise may be defined under several best-practice paradigms or frameworks, such as the Balanced Scorecard , or the US Department of Defense Architecture Framework , The Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework , The Open Group Architecture Framework and Zachman's Framework for Enterprise Architecture. In other words, capability is typically managed and assessed with regard to several dimensions or integrative elements. The US military analyses its capabilities in
532-415: The factors that contribute to the desired mission capability as an integrated system. An MCP is defined as "a task-oriented bundle of CONOPS, processes, and organization structures supported by networks, sensors, weapons, and systems, as well as personnel training and support services to sustain a core naval capability." The MCP and associated analysis then provide the basis for acquisition decisions. Due to
560-434: The force structure scheduled to receive a system have received it and have the ability to employ and maintain it. The specifics for any particular system IOC are defined in that system’s Capability Development Document (CDD) and Capability Production Document (CPD)." The date at which IOC is achieved often defines the in-service date (ISD) for an associated system . Declaration of an initial operating capability may imply that
588-469: The future. Well executed capability management therefore clearly informs strategic and operational decisions, and aids in the development of diverse but well-considered strategic and operational options, so they are readily available off-the-shelf. This should also endow significant agility to an enterprise, providing enhanced "contingency capital" and risk mitigation. Capability management therefore centers on: The interlinking functions and activities of
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#1732851462942616-457: The military and commercial contexts, net-centric operations and related concepts are playing an increasingly important role in leading and driving business transformation , and contemporary capability management needs to have close regard of those factors. The level of interoperability , both technical and organisational/social, is a critical determinant of the net-centric capability that is able to be realised and employed. Enterprises consist of
644-577: The requirements until more recently. The first lithium-ion batteries for the DCS were delivered to the Navy by General Atomics in February 2018. The Dry Combat Submersible reached initial operational capability with the US Navy in May 2023. As of July 2023, two submersibles have been delivered to the US Navy, with work being finished on a third. The first DCS with LiFT (Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant) battery system
672-422: The specifics of the program may cause a contract and acquisition-defined definition that differs from the concept of available in minimally deployable form, for example IOC on a website, which does not have material production or maintenance, may have been defined as when the training mockup is installed rather than when software or content is ready. Finally, IOC may be an informal voiced usage of opinion on how far
700-406: The structure for defining and understanding the many factors that impact the capability. The figure illustrates this sequence of relationships. The Navy has also endorsed using architectures to understand and analyze capabilities and their associated requirements. The Navy performs this architecture analysis based on the concept of Mission Capability Package (MCP). The intent is to consider all of
728-538: The sustainable use of current capabilities, and the development of future capabilities, to meet the sometimes competing strategic and current operational objectives of an enterprise . Accordingly, effective capability management: In military contexts, capabilities may also be analysed in terms of Force Structure and the Preparedness of elements or groupings within that Force Structure. Preparedness in turn may be analysed in terms of Readiness and Sustainability. In both
756-519: The water with a crane or deploy it from an opening in the bottom of their hulls. However, the Navy plans to study integrating the DCS with a larger submarine will begin in FY 2020. The DCS' main advantage over its predecessors is its dry environment, which enables SEALs to undertake longer missions in colder water and be more combat-ready when they deploy. Another advantage is that the SEALs can communicate more easily in
784-414: Was accepted by USSOCOM on April 21, 2020. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems is providing LiFT long-lifecycle batteries to power the propulsion and internal support systems of DCS. Initial operational capability Initial operating capability or initial operational capability ( IOC ) is the state achieved when a capability is available in its minimum usefully deployable form. The term
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