Teledyne Receives $41.4M U.S. Navy Contract for MK11 Shallow Water Combat Submersibles.

Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc. is awarded a contract, worth around $41.4 million, to produce MK11 Shallow Water Combat Submersibles (SWCS) for the U.S. Navy.

US Navy SEALs prepare to launch a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) mini-submarine (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that Teledyne Brown Engineering, the 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).

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 contract work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by December 2022. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to around $178.2 million and be completed by December 2023.

The Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS) is a manned submersible and a type of swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV). SWCS, designated as Mark 11 SDV, will replace the current Mark 8 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV). It is also requested by the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service (SBS), which currently operates 3 SDV’s.

SWCS will be deployable from surface ships, land, and Dry Deck Shelters (DDS) on submarines. The SWCS is 12 inches (30 cm) longer and 6 inches (15 cm) taller than its predecessor, the Mark 8 SDV. This will require modifying the DDS to accommodate it. The U.S. Navy plans to lengthen the DDS by 50 inches (1.3 m) and triple its weight capacity.

The SWCS will also be about 4,000 pounds (1.8 t) heavier than its predecessor and will have more advanced computer systems and better navigation, with new systems including an electro-optical periscope, sonar detectors, and automatic docking.