JFD Australia, the provider of the submarine rescue system to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) since 2009, will continue to deliver this capability for a further four years after finalizing an extension to its contract with the Department of Defense.
According to JFD, this service is on standby and “rescue ready” at all times to retrieve the crew of a disabled submarine anywhere in the world from the company’s national headquarters and support center at Bibra Lake, Perth, Western Australia.
Cathy Falkiner, Managing Director of JFD Australia, commented: “Keeping our submariners safe has always been our number one priority and we are very pleased to be able to continue this commitment and support to the Navy. Importantly, JFD is able to both operate and sustain all elements of the system which includes the piloted rescue vehicle that dives down to locate and transfer submariners from under the water to the ocean’s surface and a state-of-the-art hyperbaric equipment suite that can provide life-saving medical treatment, if needed.”
“Receiving this contract extension means we can really plan for the future and that starts with creating more local jobs. There will be employment opportunities at JFD Australia and potentially across our supply chain companies in what is a major investment in local economies and the local defence industry.”
To note, in Australia, submarine rescue is said to involve sending a smaller or “mini” piloted submarine to a disabled submarine to rescue the crew on board and transfer them to the ocean’s surface where they can receive potentially life-saving decompression treatment in a specially-designed hyperbaric equipment suite.