United States Naval Special Warfare SEAL Training Pipeline
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Initial Selection and Assessment Phase – Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training
Duration: 10 Weeks
Phase I – Indoctrination and Foundational NSW Proficiency
Duration: 4 Weeks
This phase of BUD/S training introduces candidates to the operational employment of closed-circuit oxygen rebreather systems, including the LAR V Draeger and MK 25 Underwater Breathing Apparatus (UBA), utilized in clandestine subsurface infiltration operations. Instruction encompasses underwater navigation, hydrodynamic profile management, and tactical swimmer approaches to high-value maritime targets. Additionally, demolition proficiency is developed through training in hydrographic reconnaissance and the application of underwater explosive ordnance for maritime sabotage operations.
Phase II – Combat Diver Qualification and Subsurface Warfare Training
Duration: 2 Weeks
The second phase of BUD/S training serves as the foundational period wherein candidates undergo rigorous instruction in small-boat operations, maritime insertion techniques utilizing inflatable combat rubber raiding craft (CRRC), and the execution of precision over-the-horizon (OTH) amphibious landing operations. Further instruction is provided in mission planning methodologies, encompassing the formulation of operational objectives, risk mitigation considerations, and the orchestration of tactical maneuver elements in an asymmetric warfare environment. Candidates are introduced to doctrinal special reconnaissance (SR) methodologies, including route selection, surveillance detection countermeasures, and intelligence gathering techniques in austere operational environments.
Phase III – Land Warfare Operations and Advanced Tactical Training
Duration: 6 Weeks
The culminating phase of BUD/S training transitions candidates into extensive land warfare instruction, emphasizing asymmetrical combat operations in various geographic environments. This includes doctrinal instruction in small unit tactics (SUT), fire team maneuver warfare, envelopment strategies, and immediate action (IA) battle drills. Candidates receive extensive live-fire weapons training covering individual and crew-served weapon systems, focusing on precision engagement principles and advanced marksmanship. Further instruction is provided in explosive breaching methodologies, including mechanical, ballistic, and exothermic torch entry techniques. Concealment, counter-surveillance, and irregular warfare strategies are also covered to enhance operational effectiveness in denied areas.
Advanced Qualification Phase – SEAL Qualification Training (SQT)
Duration: 10 Weeks
Upon successful completion of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, candidates transition into SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), a rigorous advanced training program designed to refine operational competencies in specialized warfare disciplines. This phase encompasses a comprehensive curriculum in close-quarters combat (CQC) doctrine, room clearing procedures, and counterterrorism direct action (DA) operations within high-threat environments. Advanced explosive ordnance neutralization and sabotage operations are introduced, including structural demolition and specialized munitions application for covert destruction of enemy assets.
Specialized Warfare Training and Advanced Individual Qualification
Duration: Variable
Following the completion of the SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) pipeline, operators are assigned to their respective SEAL Teams and undergo continuous specialized training in mission-specific warfare disciplines. These advanced training programs include, but are not limited to:
- 1) Naval Special Warfare Sniper Course (NSWSC)
This course focuses on the fundamentals and advanced techniques of precision long-range engagement. Students are trained in target interdiction methodologies, learning to identify and engage targets at extended ranges with accuracy and efficiency. Emphasis is placed on advanced optics employment, including the use of state-of-the-art sniper scopes and ballistic calculation tools, as well as the development of skills for target detection, concealment, and shooting under various environmental conditions and operational stress. - 2) Naval Special Warfare Advanced Breacher Course (NSWABC)
The course covers a wide range of tactical explosive entry methodologies, emphasizing the safe and effective use of explosives in dynamic operational environments. Students gain hands-on experience in ballistic and thermal breaching, as well as structural charge placement. The course also provides extensive training in the planning, preparation, and execution of breaching techniques to breach doors, walls, and other fortified structures while minimizing risk to operators and maximizing operational success. - 3) Free-Fall Parachutist Qualification (FFPQ)
This advanced course trains individuals in high-altitude low-opening (HALO) and high-altitude high-opening (HAHO) airborne insertion techniques. These methodologies are used for strategic infiltration into denied or hostile environments where traditional ground or air routes are not feasible. Students gain proficiency in advanced free-fall techniques, such as navigation, parachute control, and tactical insertion, ensuring that operators can deploy into any location with precision and stealth. - 4) Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Training
SERE training prepares operators to survive in hostile and denied environments, emphasizing both physical and psychological survival strategies. Students learn a variety of evasion techniques, including navigating through difficult terrain and avoiding detection by enemy forces. Counter-interrogation resistance strategies are a major focus, teaching students how to withstand enemy interrogation and manipulation. The course also covers essential tradecraft survival skills such as building shelters, finding food and water, and maintaining situational awareness in austere conditions. - 5) Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) Operations
VBSS operations are essential for maritime interdiction, focusing on the tactics and procedures required for boarding and securing hostile vessels. This course trains operators in ship boarding procedures, using a combination of covert entry and rapid assault techniques. Close-quarters battle (CQB) training is emphasized, preparing operators for confined space engagements in the challenging environment of a ship. The course also includes advanced tactical skills for gathering intelligence, neutralizing threats, and securing critical assets during maritime operations. - 6) Foreign Internal Defense (FID) and Unconventional Warfare (UW)
This course teaches the methods for supporting and training allied indigenous forces in asymmetric warfare strategies, including the development of guerrilla tactics and unconventional warfare operations. Students learn how to conduct clandestine operations to support foreign governments and resistance movements, focusing on techniques that increase the combat effectiveness of indigenous forces. The course also includes a comprehensive understanding of the political, cultural, and logistical challenges of working in unconventional environments. - 7) Advanced Close-Quarters Battle (CQB) and Counterterrorism Operations (CP/COIN)
This intensive course is designed to enhance proficiency in high-stakes hostage rescue and counterterrorism operations. Students are trained in precision urban warfare engagement strategies, including entry tactics, room clearing, and minimizing collateral damage in complex environments. The course emphasizes low-visibility direct action (DA) operations, focusing on stealth and precision to neutralize threats while rescuing hostages or capturing high-value targets. Operators are also trained to operate in rapidly evolving, dynamic environments, ensuring they are prepared for any CQB challenge.
Inter-Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC) and Operational Readiness
Duration: 8-12 Weeks
Upon assignment to an operational SEAL Team, Special Warfare Operators engage in the Inter-Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC), a rotational training framework designed to enhance operational readiness prior to overseas deployments. This period encompasses joint training exercises with allied special operations forces, integration with intelligence support elements, and real-world scenario-based mission rehearsals. Emphasis is placed on operational planning methodologies, encompassing the full-spectrum mission planning cycle, intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB), target package development, and execution of multi-domain warfare strategies. Advanced communication protocols are reinforced, including encrypted satellite communications (SATCOM), signals intelligence (SIGINT) exploitation, and cyber warfare integration for modernized special operations environments. Additional instruction is provided in covert operational methodologies, tradecraft concealment, and counter-surveillance measures for low-visibility intelligence operations.