View source for Advanced SEAL Delivery System

{{short description|Former Navy SEAL mini-sub deployed from submarines }}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= USS Greeneville (SSN-772).jpg
|Ship image size = 300px
|Ship caption = ASDS attached to the {{USS|Greeneville|SSN-772|6}}
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS)
|Builders=[[Northrop Grumman]] Electronics Sensors and Systems Division, Oceanic Systems subdivision
|Operators={{Navy|USA}}
|Class before=[[SEAL Delivery Vehicle]]
|Class after=*[[SEAL Delivery Vehicle]]
*''[[Dry Combat Submersible]] (planned)''
|Subclasses=
|Cost=$885 million (overall)<ref name=GAO />
|Built range= 1996–2000
|In service range=
|In commission range= July 2003 – November 2008
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=6
|Total ships completed=1
|Total ships cancelled=5
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=1
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=[[Submersible]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement= {{Convert|60|LT|t|0|lk=on}}
|Ship length= {{Convert|65|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam= {{Convert|6|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draft={{Convert|8|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=*{{Convert|67|hp|0|abbr=on}} electric motor
*Lithium-ion battery
*Single propeller
|Ship speed= {{Convert|8|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range= {{Convert|125|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=Classified, >{{convert|150|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=16 [[United States Navy SEALs|SEALs]]
|Ship crew=2
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=Forward- and side-looking sonar
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''Advanced SEAL Delivery System''' ('''ASDS''') was a [[midget submarine]] operated by the [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Special Operations Command]]. It provided stealthy submerged transportation for [[United States Navy SEALs]] from the decks of [[nuclear submarine]]s for use as an insertion platform for [[Covert operation|covert]] and [[clandestine operation|clandestine]] [[Special forces|special operations]] missions. The ASDS was canceled in 2009 due to cost overruns and reliability issues, after the prototype was destroyed in a fire in 2008. The Navy replaced the ASDS with the [[Dry Combat Submersible]] (DCS) from [[Lockheed Martin]], which is roughly half the size and became operational in 2023.<ref name=McRaven>{{cite conference |url=https://fas.org/irp/congress/2014_hr/socom.pdf |access-date=23 January 2019 |last=McRaven |first=William |author-link=William McRaven |title=Hearing on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs Before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session |date=14 March 2015 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington, DC |conference=Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities Hearing on Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the U.S. Special Operations Command and Posture of the U.S. Special Operations Forces}}</ref><ref name="TWZ">{{Cite web |title=Navy SEALs' New Mini-Submarine To Be Operational Within Weeks |last=Trevithick |first=Joseph |work=The War Zone |date=2023-05-11 |access-date=2024-11-03 |url= https://www.twz.com/navy-seals-new-mini-submarine-to-be-operational-within-weeks}}</ref>

==Mission==
ASDS was conceived to address the need for stealthy long-range insertion of special operations forces on covert or clandestine missions. It was designed to replace the [[wet sub|wet]] [[SEAL Delivery Vehicle]] (SDV), which exposed combat swimmers to long, cold waits during transit that impeded combat readiness on arrival, limited operational range, and hindered underwater navigational capability. The primary limitation on the SDV's range is not fuel or batteries but water temperature, as Navy SEALs can only stay in cold water for so long, even with [[wetsuit]]s.<ref name=Williams>{{Cite book| publisher = Naval Institute Press| isbn = 9781612510064| last = Williams| first = Gary| title = SEAL of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of LT. Michael P. Murphy (USN)| date = 7 December 2010| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e8DnFCKgxzYC&pg=PA101| page=101}}</ref>

==Development==
The first study to define the ASDS was performed in 1983. Competitive conceptual designs were developed in the late 1980s, the [[Request for proposal]] was issued in 1993, and the first contract for design and construction of the ASDS was awarded in 1994.<ref name=GAO /><ref name=GS />

The Navy stated a requirement for six boats, but that was established before it decided to convert four {{Sclass|Ohio|ballistic missile submarine}}s to [[Cruise missile submarine|guided-missile submarines (SSGNs)]] with the additional mission of support of special operations forces. Each SSGN is capable of carrying two ASDS vehicles.

Detailed design of the first ASDS was started in 1994, and hull construction began in 1996, at a cost of $160 million, to a low bid for the delivery of $69 million for the first ASDS (to include non-recurring design costs, fabrication, and testing), and subsequent copies for $25 million each. It was delivered for testing and evaluation in 2000 and cost $300 million, including vendor and program office costs. Subsequent submarines were estimated to cost $125 million each, based on a 2001 estimate. Five more were planned.

The first ASDS became operational (completed testing and evaluation) at [[Naval Station Pearl Harbor]], Hawaii, in 2003, six years behind schedule.<ref name=GAO /> From there, it was deployed to the [[Indian Ocean]] and [[Persian Gulf]] on board [[Los Angeles-class submarine|''Los Angeles-class'']] [[nuclear attack submarine]] {{USS|Greeneville}}, as a unit of Expeditionary Strike Group One. The first ASDS was never joined by other units, as the program was derailed by escalating costs and technical problems. A [[Congressional Budget Office]] (CBO) in 2003 cited two major technical problems: noisy propellers and [[silver-zinc batteries]] that depleted more quickly than planned. A new propeller made of composite material was developed to rectify the noise problem. Development is under way on [[lithium-ion batteries]] to replace the silver-zinc batteries and enable the electrical system to meet the Navy's requirements. Yardney Technical Products of [[Pawcatuck, Connecticut]], was awarded a $44 million contract modification to provide four lithium-ion batteries for the ASDS program by May 2009.<ref name=Burgess>{{cite magazine |last1=Burgess |first1=Richard |title=Mini-Submarine Promises Dry Delivery for SEALS |url=http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/feb_05_26.php |website=Sea Power |publisher=Navy League of the United States |access-date=5 September 2018 |date=February 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907032310/http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/feb_05_26.php |archive-date=7 September 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the end, cost, technical, and reliability issues proved insurmountable,<ref name=Polmar /> and the ASDS was cancelled in 2009.<ref name=Cole />

===Cost overruns===
According to the [[Government Accountability Office]] (GAO), the initial $70 million cost-plus contract ended up costing the government $885 million by 2007.<ref name=GAO>{{cite report |date=May 2007 |title=Defense Acquisitions: Success of Advanced SEAL Delivery System Hinges on Establishing a Sound Contracting Strategy and Performance Criteria  |url=https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07745.pdf |publisher=Government Accountability Office |docket=GAO-07-745 |access-date=5 September 2018 }}</ref> Instead of entering service in 2000, as was initially planned, testing continued and the first boat was not delivered until July 2003.<ref name=GAO /> ''[[GlobalSecurity.org|Global Security]]'' adds that the program was initially projected to cost $527 million over its lifetime, including delivery of all six subs,<ref name=GAO /> but by 2003 total program cost was predicted to rise to more than $2 billion—significantly more than the $1.4 billion [[SSGN]] Tactical [[Trident (missile)|Trident]] conversion program to which it is related.<ref name=GS>{{cite web |last1=Pike |first1=John |title=Advanced SEAL Delivery System |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/asds.htm |website=GlobalSecurity.org |access-date=5 September 2018 |date=7 July 2011}}</ref> An independent GAO audit of the program published in 2007 placed the blame for the cost overruns on [[Northrop Grumman]], the prime contractor, for failing to meet their time and cost estimates and on the Navy for accepting the ASDS "as is" and failing to hold Northrop Grumman accountable for cost overruns and delays.<ref name=GAO /> After 2000, most of the cost overruns were for cost- and incentives . The [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] endorsed GAO's findings.<ref name=DID>{{cite news |author=Defense Industry Daily Staff |title=ASDS Mini-Sub Program Sinks, As Replacements Rise |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/08/navy-seal-submarine/ |access-date=5 September 2018 |work=Defense Industry Daily |date=11 July 2011}}</ref>

Funding was provided via Congressional line item to the Special Operations Command. The Navy Deep Submergence Office was selected as the technical design agent and program office. Technical assistance was provided by the [[United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit|Navy Experimental Dive Unit]], [[Panama City, Florida]]; the [[Naval Special Warfare Command]], [[Coronado, California]]; [[SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams|SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2]], [[Norfolk, Virginia]]; and the [[USSOCOM|Special Operations Command]] (SOCOM) Special Operations and Acquisition Logistics (SOAL), [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]].<ref name=GAO />

===Critical design failures===
*'''Power''' – The long range requirement strained the ability of existing battery technology.<ref name=Burgess />
*'''Shock''' – Shock requirements for the vessel and its equipment were four times the limit for contemporary nuclear submarines. No submarine equipment of any kind existed that could survive the shock. Displays, computers, mountings, and life support equipment were expensive to re-engineer.
*'''Host needs''' – Weight, size, and center of gravity all were limited by what could be carried on the back of a {{Sclass|Los Angeles|submarine}}.
*'''Life Support''' – The large number of passengers for the small submarine, the need for fully automated and self-controlling systems, and the long periods of submersion (days) presented serious challenges that could not be met with Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) nor Government Off The Shelf (GOTS) systems.<ref name=ADA442819>{{cite journal |author1=Carlson, NA |author2=Warkander, Daniel E |title=Carbon Dioxide Washout of an Emergency Breathing System Mask Modified for Use in the Advanced Seal Delivery System (ASDS) Trainer |journal=US Navy Experimental Diving Unit Technical Report |volume=NEDU-05-13 |year=2005 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3480 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804100622/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3480 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=4 August 2009 |access-date=9 September 2008 }}</ref> Existing systems used on large submarines required too much space and too much power. Existing systems on small submarines lacked capacity and the ease-of-use required for combat. Internal heating and cooling systems not usually needed for large submarines were needed for the smaller sub that would go into shallower warmer waters or colder surface waters.<ref name=ADA442796>{{cite journal |author1=Nuckols, Marshall L |author2=Chao, JC |author3=Swiergosz, Matthew J |title=Manned Evaluation of a Diver Heater for SDV Applications Using Hydrogen Catalytic Reactions |journal=US Navy Experimental Diving Unit Technical Report |volume=NEDU-05-08 |year=2005 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3482 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804100634/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3482 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=4 August 2009 |access-date=9 September 2008 }}</ref>

'''Navigation''' – Sonar systems developed for attack submarines, but needed for the shallow water maneuvers, were large, power hungry, and gave off excessive heat.

'''Construction''' – Full nuclear sub shock, hull and piping requirements were imposed on the designers – nullifying the "off the shelf" design approaches requested by the government in earlier phases. To accommodate the larger piping and thicker hull, other systems had to be lightened. (Reference the GAO and RAND reports.) The pressure hull construction was HY-80 alloy steel (same as larger nuclear powered submarines) and the batteries were contained in separate titanium alloy pressure enclosures (14 total) which hung beneath the hull. The outer surfaces, control surfaces, nose, and tail were constructed of fiberglass composite to give the submersible a streamlined shape. The pressure hull consisted of three compartments; an operations compartment (forward) where the submersible was piloted and controlled; a diving lockout chamber (middle); and a troop transport compartment (aft) where special operations commandos and their equipment are transported.

===Cancellation===
In April 2006, the program for new submarines was canceled and Northrop Grumman notified of termination. The current submarine was still in development and in use until it was damaged in a "serious fire" in November 2008. {{As of |2008|12}}, the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.<ref name=Cavas>{{cite news |last=Cavas |first=Christopher |url=http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081214/NEWS08/812140366/1018/localnewsfront |title=Fire deals new setback to Navy's heralded mini-sub |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |access-date=16 December 2008 |date=14 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217174233/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081214/NEWS08/812140366/1018/localnewsfront |archive-date=17 December 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Given the probable extent of fire and water damage (the mini-sub burned for six hours and remained sealed for two weeks) it was highly unlikely that the craft could be saved.<ref name=Polmar>{{cite web|last=Polmar |first=Norman |url=http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,181232,00.html |title=Problems Persist for SEAL Mini-Subs |publisher=Military.com |access-date=16 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122063820/http://www.military.com/features/0%2C15240%2C181232%2C00.html |archive-date=22 January 2009 |url-status=live |date=16 December 2008}}</ref> Repair was expected to cost $237 million,<ref name=Cole /> more than triple the entire original contract.<ref name=Cavas />

On 24 July 2009, [[US Special Operations Command]] (USSOCOM) announced that the ASDS was not going to be repaired citing "competing funding priorities."<ref name=Cole>{{cite news |last1=Cole |first1=William |title=Prototype mini-sub shelved |url=http://www.dmzhawaii.org/dmz-legacy-site-two/?tag=advanced-seal-delivery-system |access-date=5 September 2018 |work=DMZ Hawai'i |date=25 July 2009 |via=[[Honolulu Star Advertiser]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906014044/http://www.dmzhawaii.org/dmz-legacy-site-two/?tag=advanced-seal-delivery-system |archive-date=6 September 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Follow-on programs ===
After the Advanced SEAL Delivery System's cancellation, the Navy pursued the [[Joint Multi-Mission Submersible]], although this follow-on program was abandoned in 2010 over cost concerns.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stripes.com/news/us/navy-takes-new-tack-in-effort-to-develop-minisub-in-hawaii-1.248135 |title=Navy takes new tack in effort to develop minisub in Hawaii |last1=Cole
 |first1=William |date=20 October 2013 |website=www.stripes.com |publisher=The Honolulu Star-Advertiser |access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref>

These abandoned programs, and the currently operational [[SEAL Delivery Vehicle]], are to be replaced by the [[Shallow Water Combat Submersible]].<ref name=DID /><ref name=Sutton>{{Cite book| edition = 2nd | publisher = CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform| isbn = 9781533114877| last = Sutton| first = H. I.| title = Covert Shores: The Story of Naval Special Forces Missions and Minisubs| date = 5 May 2016}}</ref>

==Capabilities==
Two {{Sclass|Los Angeles|submarine|1}}s were modified to deploy the ASDS, and the {{Sclass|Virginia|submarine|1}} was built with the inherent capability to deploy the mini-sub. Planners originally intended the ASDS to be piloted by one submarine officer and one SEAL. This occurred during initial testing and operational evaluation. The sub was designed to carry 16 SEALs in addition to the two pilots.<ref>Kakesako, Gregg L, "Navy Still Investigating Fire Aboard Special Warfare Minisub", ''[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]'', 21 December 2008.</ref>

Smaller swimmer propulsion devices such as the STD (Swimmer Transport Device) may be carried internally (basically smaller scooters), and small [[Combat Rubber Raiding Craft]] (CRRC) or Inflatable Boat-Small (IBS) may be stored internally. However, such craft cannot carry gasoline engines due to safety issues on submarines and fuel issues in small spaces, and therefore have to be paddled or use small electric motors. Semi-rigid, rigid hull, and [[Rigid-hulled inflatable boat|rigid-hulled inflatable craft]] such as the [[Zodiac Marine & Pool|ZODIAC]] cannot be accommodated.

==Technical data==
* Length overall: {{convert|65|ft|m|abbr=on}}
* Beam: {{convert|6.75|ft|m|abbr=on}}
* Height: {{convert|8.25|ft|m|abbr=on}}
* Displacement: 60 tons
* Propulsion {{convert|67|hp|kW|abbr=on}} electric motor (Ag-Zn battery) driving a single retractable propeller
* Max. Speed: 8+ knots
* Range: 125+ mi.
* Max. Diving Depth: Classified
* Normal operating depth: >{{convert|150|ft|m|abbr=on}}
* Crew: 2
* Troops: Up to 16 SEALs, depending on equipment
* Masts: 2
** Port: periscope
** Starboard: communication and [[GPS]]
* Communications Systems: [[UHF]] radio
* Sonar:
** Forward Looking – detects natural and man-made obstacles,
** Side Looking – terrain and bottom mapping, mine detection
* Aircraft transportability: [[C-5 Galaxy]] and [[C-17 Globemaster III]]
* Builder: [[Northrop Grumman]] Electronics Sensors and Systems Division, Oceanic Systems subdivision

==See also==
*{{annotated link|SEAL Delivery Vehicle}}
*{{annotated link|Shallow Water Combat Submersible}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.specwarnet.net/vehicles/ASDS.pdf Specwarnet.net]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070608222544/http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/cno/n87/usw/issue_14/asds.html Navy Public Affairs Office]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070702050247/http://www.specialoperations.com/Navy/ASDS/default.html Specialoperations.com]
* [http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/asds-minisub-program-taking-on-water-updated-01580/ Defense Industry Daily article]
* [https://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/2005/DB352.pdf 2005 RAND report]

{{Underwater diving|divequ}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Advanced Seal Delivery System}}
[[Category:Submarines of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Midget submarines]]
[[Category:United States Navy SEALs]]