Gallery: Climb Into the Mini-Sub Navy SEALs Use to Bring Death From Below

  • Image may contain Water Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Helicopter Human Person Outdoors Diving Diver and Sport
    U.S. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Andrew McKaskle via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_050505-N-3093M-007_Members_of_SEAL_Delivery_Vehicle_Team_Two_(SDVT-2)_prepare_to_launch_one_of_the_team%27s_SEAL_Delivery_Vehicles_(SDV)_from_the_back_of_the_Los_Angeles-class_attack_submarine_USS_Philadelphia_(SSN_690).jpg">Wikipedia</a>
    01

    seal-sub

    Soldiers board an SDV, which deploys from a larger host submarine that can't maneuver in the shallow water near the shore.
  • Image may contain Water Human Person Outdoors Sport Sports Diving Diver Aqua Scuba Scuba Diving and Helmet
    U.S. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Andrew McKaskle
    02

    SDV operations

    A team of divers moves around an SDV next to the submarine USS Florida.
  • Image may contain Water Human Person Outdoors Diving Diver Sport Sports Scuba Diving Aqua Scuba and Adventure
    U.S. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Andrew McKaskle
    03

    Performing SDV operations with USS Florida

    SDVs are "free-flooded," which means that occupants are submerged in ocean water while inside the vessel.
  • Image may contain Water Outdoors Human Person Diving Sport Sports Diver Aqua Scuba and Scuba Diving
    U.S. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Andrew McKaskle
    04

    SDV operations

    Soldiers train next to the USS Hawaii submarine. The SDVs allow occupants to move long distances that would be impossible with standard scuba tanks and flippers.
  • Image may contain Water Outdoors Human Person Sport Sports Diving Diver Aqua Scuba Scuba Diving and Nature
    U.S. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Andrew McKaskle
    05

    SDV operations

    As a media specialist captures a training routine, soldiers move around outside the host submarine, which deploys the SDV.
  • Unlike its smaller predecessors the Mark VIII SDV was designed to haul multiple soldiers and their cargo. It was wide...
    Courtesy Navy SEAL Museum
    06

    NovSEAL-053-edit

    Unlike its smaller predecessors, the Mark VIII SDV was designed to haul multiple soldiers and their cargo. It was wide enough that a pilot and navigator could sit side-by-side.
  • Image may contain Transportation and Vehicle
    Courtesy Navy SEAL Museum
    07

    Lambertsen Collection

    These kinds of vehicles have been around for decades. A World War II-era "Sleeping Beauty," never saw combat but was later used by underwater demolitions teams.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Transportation and Vehicle
    Courtesy Navy SEAL Museum
    08

    36-Sleeping-Beauty-Ashore-sdv-seal-delivery-vehicle-edit

    A dry-docked single-passenger "Sleeping Beauty," first developed by British naval forces.
Read More
Is the Electric Trike the Next Big Thing in Shared Micromobility?
Veo is launching accessibility-focused electric tricycles in Denver, with plans to put its e-trikes on the streets nationwide.
Boone Ashworth
What WIRED Writers Would Actually Give Their Moms
Your mom never gets you a thoughtless gift, so you shouldn’t get her one, either. Here’s every cool gift WIRED writers would give their mothers.
Nena Farrell
Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
Should you splurge on the new Series 11, or will the SE 3 do? Let us help you figure out which version to get (and which to avoid).
Boutayna Chokrane
12 Adventurous Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People
Let them pick out their own hiking boots. Instead, try gifting a useful blade or a nature journal to delight your outdoorsy friend.
Scott Gilbertson
A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life
Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Jeremy White
Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
In 2023, the Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. They’ve since spent more than $20 million on the case, and publisher A.G. Sulzberger has no plans to stop fighting it.
Katie Drummond
Silicon Valley’s Next IPO Billionaires Are Coming. Nonprofits Are Ready for Them
Anthropic and OpenAI employees are expected to give generously after their companies go public. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” says one nonprofit leader.
Paresh Dave
The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Can Do It All
Dyson’s new stick vacuum can vacuum and mop in a single cordless device—if you’re willing to really splurge.
Nena Farrell
‘They’re Fucking a Lot of People’: 7-OH Users Brace for DEA Ban
The opioid-like compound, which is found in kratom, can cause brutal withdrawal symptoms and will soon be a controlled substance. Some users tell WIRED it has relieved their pain and anxiety.
Manisha Krishnan
An Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined
Scientists have long assumed that there’s an upper limit to the intensity of the solar winds that reach Earth. New research suggests there’s not—and the implications are alarming.
Javier Carbajal
Hugging Face Has a Deepfake Nudes Problem
Researchers tested top image editing models on Hugging Face and found they could easily create explicit deepfakes—and 1,000 image editing prompts show how people use the software.
Matt Burgess
Top Ulta Beauty Promo Codes: 50% Off
Shop the latest beauty trends and save big using an Ulta promo code for beauty tech, makeup, and more.
Boutayna Chokrane