ENSURING SURVIVABILITY FOR NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATIONS IN THE ARCTIC

• Main Author: Domingo, Steven J., Jr.
• Other Authors: Blanken, Leo J., Defense Analysis (DA), Eiriksson, Leif, DIU
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School 2022
• Subjects: Naval Special Warfare; NSW; Course of Action; COA; Defense Innovation Unit; DIU; Arctic; High Arctic; Arctic survival; innovation adoption
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10945/71450

Naval Special Warfare (NSW) operators are not currently manned, trained, or equipped to effectively survive or execute High Arctic mission sets. The dynamic rate of environmental change and the adversarial exploitation of the Arctic regions have disadvantaged the United States and its allies. This capstone intends to reduce inherent survival risks an NSW operator would incur associated with extreme “cold” and increase the duration an NSW operator can remain on station in the High Arctic. The end state is to provide NSW with research and a Course of Action (COA) that leads to prototype production, orchestrated through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), enabling NSW operators to rapidly respond to crisis/conflict in all Arctic regions. Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. Lieutenant, United States Navy