Surprising ways naval commandos of different countries hide at the bottom of the sea
Accordingly, in order to easily move or hide underwater, naval commandos of some countries use special means of transport, also known as "living torpedoes", which are even equipped with weapons.
The underwater frogman transport vehicles for naval commandos of some countries were formed and developed since World War II. At that time, it was often called "living torpedo" because it looked like a normal torpedo but had a pilot.
This vehicle is specially designed to be directly controlled by frogmen sitting inside. When operating, the frogmen sitting in the cockpit will control the torpedo and approach the coastal targets or enemy warships. Then, the frogmen will control the separation of the body and the head of the torpedo, and will use the torpedo head, which is filled with a large amount of explosives, to attack and destroy the target.
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| US Navy Mk8 Mod.1 frogman transport vehicle. Photo: Wikipedia |
Nowadays, underwater frogman transport vehicles have developed rapidly, and their features are constantly improving. Accordingly, frogman transport vehicles are designed in an aerodynamic style, with an appearance quite similar to torpedoes or submarines.
The main components are made up of systems such as: Engine system, control system, power supply system and oxygen supply. These vehicles have high stealth capabilities due to being equipped with temperature and exhaust control systems.
In addition, some vehicles also use a tilted hull design to reduce the sonar reflection cross-section or use stealth paint and materials.
What is special about the means of transporting frogmen of different countries?
- The US is the leader in the development of frogman transport vehicles with the Mk8 Mod.1 frogman transport vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation.US Navy.
Mk8 Mod.1 Submersible Vehicle6.5 - 7.6m long; 1.3m high; maximum load 17 tons; body made of aluminum alloy; battery engine provides 5-blade propeller that can travel continuously 76km; operating capacity at a range of 104km at a speed of 9 knots/h at a depth of 6m. Mk-8 Mod.1 is equipped on US nuclear submarines and is towed by a specially designed cargo compartment on the submarine.
After leaving the compartment, the task force is completely submerged in water. One Mk8 can carry 6 frogmen with full equipment, including 2 operators and 4 other members on combat missions.
- Korean SDV-1000W frogman transport vehicle: SDV-1000W was researched and developed by VOGO Company of Korea. SDV-1000W is 13m long; uses a mixed propulsion engine for a maximum speed of up to 35 nautical miles/h underwater; when traveling on the water, it can move at a speed of up to 240 nautical miles/h.
SDV-1000W can move continuously for 3 hours at a depth of 18m; can simultaneously carry 10 fully armed frogmen to conduct special operations.
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| South Korean SDV-1000W frogman transport vehicle. Photo: Pinterest. |
- Italian XK-1 frogman transport vehicle: XK-1 weighs 17kg; about 1m long; uses aluminum alloy material.
During testing, the device broke the diving depth record of up to 300m, but its normal operational depth is limited to 200m; maximum cruising speed is about 5km/h; continuous cruising capacity is 13.5km; when loaded, it reduces to 6.1km.
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| Italian XK-1 frogman transport vehicle. Photo: Pinterest |
- Swedish SEAL transport vehicle: The SEAL was developed primarily to transport Swedish assault frogman reconnaissance squads.
The characteristics of this vehicle are its very fast speed of up to 30 nautical miles/h; it can transport 8 frogmen with full combat equipment. For the unmanned type, it can carry up to 1,200kg of weapons and equipment, and can be used in anti-mine operations or can be used as a remote-controlled weapon carrier.