“That is how we innovate for step adjustments and keep forward of our peer rivals,” stated Rear Adm. H. Wyman Howard III, commander, Naval Particular Warfare Command. “Beforehand, a SEAL Crew would full their Operational Readiness Cycle and certification for fight readiness, after which we’d allocate the complete functionality via joint commander and division selections & authorities. With DfP, we retain a 3rd of those combat-ready forces to experiment with new gear and innovate new techniques, strategies, and procedures for the high-end struggle – study sooner at decrease coaching threat as a result of we’re conducting this experimentation and idea growth with fight prepared forces.”
SEALs and fight service help personnel traveled to southeast Fla., to check a number of totally different items of underwater propulsion and navigation gear throughout the spectrum of NSW dive operations.
Fight diving is a core mission set of the unique Frogmen and stays a particular functionality to the NSW mission as we speak for entry. With trendy expertise and digital navigation gear, SEALs can journey longer distances, sooner, whereas being higher in a position to keep away from detection.
“We’re bringing fight swimmer capabilities into the digital age,” stated one particular operator. “It’s just like the distinction between utilizing a rotary dial telephone in comparison with utilizing a wise telephone.”
The experimentation began with classroom periods on programming and upkeep classes for each bit of kit. As soon as within the water, the particular operators familiarized themselves with the gear and practiced primary techniques, strategies, and procedures. They perfected the fundamentals, then iterated on longer and extra complicated dives. The train culminated with the operators training totally different mission profiles with the brand new gear.
Whereas that platoon was innovating beneath the floor of the Atlantic, one other platoon from the identical SEAL Crew was training for fight within the harsh setting of the Arctic Excessive North.
These SEALs and fight help personnel participated in Pink Flag-Alaska, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored joint, multinational train involving a number of companies and platforms, all coordinated in a sensible fight situation. The platoon developed and examined new techniques in a simulated excessive risk setting.
Capt. David Abernathy, commander, Naval Particular Warfare Group 1, stated the DfP mannequin is a approach to enhance readiness.
“The strategic benefit of the Deploy-for-Function mannequin is that it permits us to study sooner,” stated Abernathy. “These classes discovered are going to permit us to resolve issues we weren’t in a position to see underneath our earlier drive design. We will already see elevated functionality due to the brand new flexibility Deploy-for-Function brings.”
Howard stated he hopes to see DfP setting the tempo for innovation in Naval Particular Warfare and past.
“That is fully totally different from how NSW has operated up to now, and it’s a approach to prioritize missions that solely maritime particular operators can do,” stated Howard. “This mannequin permits us to quickly innovate – construct a bit, take a look at a bit, and study rather a lot – on a small degree, experiment, and scale these classes and successes to mitigate political, strategic and army threat on mission imperatives.”
