Indian Navy commissions its 1st deep submergence rescue vehicle

The Indian Navy has commissioned the country’s first deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV).

Photo: Indian Navy

The DSRV was commissioned by Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff, during a ceremony held at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on December 12, 2018.

The navy recently concluded the maiden trials of the DSRV. The completion of the trials was said to represent a significant milestone in the delivery of a comprehensive submarine rescue capability to the Indian Navy that will enhance safety for submariners.

The new DSRV is one of the two such systems ordered by the navy from James Fisher Defence (JFD). Both systems are operated by three crew members and capable of rescuing up to seventeen personnel from a disabled submarine at one time.

The newly acquired DSRV would be operated and deployed by the crew of Indian Navy’s newly formed Submarine Rescue Unit (West) from its base in Mumbai.

The Indian Navy currently operates submarines of the Sindhughosh, Shishumar, Kalvari Classes as well as nuclear-powered submarines. The operating medium and the nature of operations undertaken by submarines expose them to high degree of inherent risk. In such an eventuality, traditional methods of search and rescue at sea are ineffective for a disabled submarine. To overcome this capability gap, the Indian Navy has acquired the new systems.