![]() To perform a mission, the special forces personnel and the support divers enter the hangar and dress in diving gear. (The US Navy version also has a hyperbaric decompression chamber forward of the transfer trunk but the UK version does not appear to have this facility.) Astute-Class-Submarine-Dry-Deck-Shelter-DDS-CHALFONT When the DDS has fitted, this chamber is mated to the ‘hangar’ which can accommodate either a Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV) or up to 20 divers and their equipment. ![]() The Astute class reputedly have a lock-in/lock-out transfer trunk permanently installed inside the sail that allows diver access to and from the submarine while submerged. HMS Astute first deployed with the DDS on an 8-month patrol in 2014 and HMS Artful currently carries the DDS which she first received in late 2016. Given the small number of SSNs possessed by the RN, only one boat is likely to be fitted at a time. Securing points on the casing, hull penetrations, piping for high-pressure air and electrical supplies are in place ready to receive the DDS. The aft section of the sail on the Astute class boats have removable panels. The DDS is not a permanent fixture and is designed to be attached or removed from a submarine within a matter of days. In UK service it is formally named the Special Forces Payload Bay (SFPB) and was procured under ‘project CHALFONT’, although submariners nickname it “the caravan of death”. The DDS fitted to the Astute class boats is a cylindrical chamber approximately 13m long by 3m diameter. Using unclassified public domain sources, here we examine the history, design and operation of the DDS in RN service. The Astute class submarines were designed from the outset to be fitted with a Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) which significantly enhances their ability to covertly deliver special forces.
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