Navy inducts submarine rescue system

New Delhi: Indian Navy has inducted a submarine rescue system with a Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) along with associated equipment, it said on Friday.

This system has a `Side Scan Sonar` for locating the position of the submarine in distress at sea, providing immediate relief with the help of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and thereafter rescuing the crew of the submarine using the DSRV itself, as per a release.

"To ensure early mobilisation, the system has been procured in a Flyaway configuration which permits rapid transportation of the rescue system from the base to the exact location of the distressed submarine by transportation using air/land/sea vessel"," said the release. 

The Indian DSRV has the capability to rescue personnel from a distressed submarine (DISSUB) up to a depth of 650 m and it is the latest in terms of technology and capabilities. 

The Navy said the system has been designed and supplied to meet unique requirements of the submarines by James Fishes Defence, UK. 

"We have ordered two systems which shall be based on the West and East Coast of India respectively to provide redundancy, high operational availability and early response to deal with a submarine contingency," it said. 

"With this capability, India has joined a select league of nations which have this unique capability and we are now in a position to not only provide rescue cover to our own submarines but also to other friendly nations in the IOR (Indian Ocean Region) and beyond." 

The DSRV is likely to be inducted in the Indian Navy by end of this year.