SDV stands for SEAL Delivery Vehicle.  This is a great example of an open ocean insert onboard a US submarine.  There are a lot of great things that make this picture stand out.  Let’s take a look.

First, credit to the H-60 helo crew for getting into a low hover that made for an easy rope (fast rope) down. It’s a wet deck and a small target to hit for sure. These guys nail it.

What are these guys doing? They are either part of an SDV Team or they are one of the other SEAL Team members who are conducted submarine training operations.  We use submarines quite a bit for clandestine insertion, if you saw Act of Valor then you had a chance to see this up close and personal.

The guys are wearing helmets and have fins because they would have been prepared to cast out over water in the event the seas were too rough to conduct a fast rope.

Final credit goes to the sub crew and captain. Unsung heroes for sure.  You can rest easy knowing that these bad boys are lurking off a hot coastal zone completely undetected ready to strike.

This article previously published on SOFREP 04.12.2012