MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system

The Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is set to receive a new upgraded combat diver navigation system, fulfilling a longstanding capability gap according to service officials.

According to a sole-source purchase order announced on 8 May, the Camp Lejeune-based command has selected the Shark Marine Dive Tablet 2 underwater navigation system, which will be used by MARSOC ‘Raiders’ during combat diving training serials and missions.

According to the US Special Operations Command’s Program Executive Office-Maritime (PEO-M), combat divers from across the organisation, including US Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force personnel, are always on the lookout for ‘handheld and collective capabilities’ in diver navigation systems. Devices are used to enhance situational awareness, navigation accuracy and positioning, a PEO-M official confirmed to Shephard.

According to contract information posted on the sam.gov website, the new tablet will provide Marine Raiders with ‘sub-surface navigation, sonar integration, and critical SA for SOF dive operations’.

The device also interfaces with MARSOC’s existing range of diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs), with the command understood to use legacy Shark Marine navigation tablets for introductory training at the Stone Bay facility near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and during ‘various DFT [deployment for training] exercises’.

‘Familiarity with this equipment will ensure a seamless transition to newer models and reduce uncertainty for operators. Upcoming evaluation exercises leave the unit with strict timeline and budget constraints for training,’ a MARSOC statement reads.

‘Procuring alternative navigation systems would require 30 to 45 days just to establish a third-party training contract. The [MARSOC] Dive Locker has endured a four-year capability gap in this area, relying solely on limited training stock and contracted support to fulfil mission requirements.

‘Market research, including a review of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) dive navigation boards, confirms that other companies’ similar products lack the required integration features and cannot be retrofitted or modified to meet MARSOC’s specialised operational needs.

‘Comparing with other companies such as GreenSea IQ, Teledyne Marine, VideoRay and Riptide Autonomous, some of which are world-class brands, we found the following issues where they fall short of MARSOC-required DPV integration that the Shark Marine Navigation Tablet 2 meets,’ a MARSOC official statement reads.

The tablet will be delivered with an accessory side mount and compact floating GPS system for shallow water operations.

According to Shark Marine Technologies, the Shark Marine Dive Tablet 2 – the second generation of the product – is an ‘affordable solution for anyone that requires accurate underwater positioning’.

‘Using advanced dead reckoning, GPS, DNS, or USBL, Dive Tablet 2 allows operators to map underwater habitats, document archaeological sites, take geo-referenced photos and video, or accurately navigate underwater,’ company literature states.

‘The tablet’s small size and rugged construction make it a good fit for use on RIBs and other surface vessels where it can be used for navigation, or to track and communicate with divers using the Sub-NET system,’ company literature states.