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Caption:
Souda Bay, Crete, Greece (July 19, 2004) -- The Los Angeles-class
attack submarine USS Dallas (SSN 700) has its brow removed during
preparations to get underway. Dallas is homported in Groton, Conn., and
currently on a routine deployment. Commissioned in 1981, Dallas is the
first Los Angeles-class submarine to have a Dry Deck Shelter (DDS). Dry
Deck Shelters provide specially configured nuclear powered submarines
with a greater capability of deploying Special Operations Forces (SOF).
DDSs can transport, deploy, and recover SOF teams from Combat Rubber
Raiding Crafts (CRRCs) or SEAL Delivery Vehicles (SDVs), all while
remaining submerged. In an era of littoral warfare, this capability
substantially enhances the combat flexibility of both the submarine and
SOF personnel. U.S. Navy photo by Paul Farley (RELEASED)
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