Indian Navy submarine rescue system completes first open sea trials

UK-based underwater technology company JFD said it has completed the first open sea launch of Indian Navy’s dive and recovery of the deep search and rescue vehicle (DSRV).

The DSRV is the first of two 3rd generation submarine rescue systems being delivered to the Indian Navy.

The DSRV completed a full launch deployment, dive and recovery in open sea, replicating the operating conditions of a real submarine rescue operation.

Following the delivery of the first system to the Indian Navy in April this year, JFD deployed a team of 30 expert personnel to India’s west coast to support the mobilisation followed by a period of sea trials. The company worked in partnership with the Indian Navy who provided the commercial mothership and associated trials consort vessels. The Indian Navy west coast based rescue team, who will operate the system when in service, were active participants throughout this phase of the trials.

“The completion of this phase of open sea trials for the first DSRV is a significant milestone in the delivery of the first of two highly advanced 3rd generation submarine rescue systems,” Ben Sharples, India DSRV project director at JFD said. “As well as forming part of the contractual acceptance, it’s an important stage as we look to ensure the safe operation of the system once in service.”

The DSAR class SRV is capable of diving with a crew of 3 and up to 17 rescuees, while the medical hyperbaric complex can treat and decompress up to 90 personnel at any one time. The launch and recovery system has been designed to handle the SRV in conditions up to and including sea state 6, while a pair of self-contained generators are capable of providing a fully redundant electrical supply to the entire system.