Quote: (Originally Posted by
caveseeker7)
The RAN's designation is A5800 I believe, the RN also has an iteration of the venerable MK16. Slight diffrences here and there, but all based around the same center section layout.
The MK15.5 was originally designated MK16 MOD1 IIRC, the idea behind it was to salvage the USN's stockpile of MK15 CCRs by updating them with the MK16's newer center section to which the USN owned the rights. Never panned out for some reason or other.
Thats true,they didnt panned out, but they did come up with some good uses for the 15.5 for some operations which the mk16 was too expensive to be use for. $60k ver 20k because they could mix and match from mk15 and 16 supplys to keep cost down.
1 is try fitting a mk16 into a small wet sub at the time 80's. "they are too wide" hence the idea of the 15.5 without $$$$ bits and pieces as they where not needed to removed mines,but carry people from a submarine to land without being seen and they fitted into the seat of the mini wet sub.