U.S. Navy special operations forces are seeking to enhance their maritime capabilities with advanced electronic warfare systems and precision firepower, aiming to bolster both surface and undersea platforms used in critical missions.

At the Global SOF Foundation’s Special Operations Force Week, held earlier this week, officials from the Special Operations Command’s Program Executive Office-Maritime (PEO-Maritime) outlined a series of new initiatives and modernization plans focused on increasing the lethality, autonomy, and survivability of their watercraft.

Over the past decade, Naval Special Warfare Command has fielded a new generation of combatant craft, but attention is now turning toward what these vessels can do — and how they can fight.

Dennis Quaid’s #1 Warning for Americans

“We’re looking at adding launched effects to the CCM-Mk 2 program, which includes short-range rockets and electronic warfare capabilities,” said Cmdr. Nick Van Dyke, head of surface systems for SOCOM PEO-Maritime.

These “launched effects,” as described, fall under a broader concept known as maritime precision engagement.

This effort aims to equip watercraft with a precision-strike capability, fundamentally transforming their operational roles from transport and insertion platforms into forward-deployed strike assets.

The Combatant Craft Medium (CCM) program has already delivered 30 of its 31 boats, and those vessels — along with the Combatant Craft Heavy (CCH) and Combatant Craft Assault (CCA) — will soon be upgraded with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) systems.

“The Navy has 84 FLIR devices designated for these enhancements,” Van Dyke added, noting their critical role in target acquisition, navigation, and operational safety during low-visibility missions.

The enhancements go beyond human-crewed craft. SOCOM is also making a major push into unmanned technologies. Officials announced plans to procure 13 short-endurance and 12 long-endurance unmanned surface vessels (USVs) by fiscal year 2027.

These autonomous watercraft are designed to perform a wide variety of missions, ranging from surveillance and traffic monitoring to the delivery of sensors or kinetic payloads — all without exposing operators to direct danger.

Later this week, SOCOM plans to release a request for information (RFI) to industry for a new unmanned undersea vehicle.

This smaller platform must be capable of fitting into a submarine’s lock-in/lock-out chamber, offering more covert options for undersea infiltration or reconnaissance.

Such a capability could work in tandem with the Seal Delivery Vehicle Mk 11 — a significantly upgraded variant of the legacy Mk 8.

“The Mk 11 upgrades include improved software, accurate navigation, increased range, and increased cargo capacity,” explained Cmdr. Mike Linn, head of the undersea portfolio for PEO-Maritime.

Between 2018 and 2024, ten of these vehicles have been delivered to SOCOM, reflecting growing reliance on advanced manned and unmanned submersibles for stealth maritime operations.

In addition to the craft themselves, the infrastructure supporting these missions is also under review.

The Dry Deck Shelter (DDS), an integral component that allows SEALs and their vehicles to exit submarines underwater, is aging.

Five shelters are still in operation, many having served for decades.

To address this, SOCOM launched the “Dry Deck Next” project in 2024. Spanning the next five years, this initiative aims to completely reimagine the DDS system with modern materials and capabilities.

Eric Moore, head of special mission systems for maritime, highlighted some of the envisioned improvements: “We’re looking at remote payload launch and recovery, an upgraded pressure hull, a hanger outer door closure system, and overall reduced signatures for less detection.”

Together, these upgrades underscore a broader shift in special operations maritime doctrine — one that emphasizes not just mobility, but survivability, autonomy, and offensive capability in a range of mission profiles.

From near-shore infiltration to deep-sea strike and reconnaissance, the new suite of tools aims to keep special operators ahead of evolving threats.

As adversaries improve their anti-access and area denial systems, SOCOM’s focus on faster, smarter, and more lethal maritime platforms shows an awareness of future conflict dynamics.

Whether through rockets launched from boats, unmanned craft navigating contested waters, or stealthier submersibles slipping past enemy defenses, the message from SOCOM is clear: the future of maritime special operations is already taking shape — and it’s armed, autonomous, and increasingly invisible.