New Craft May Make Submarine Rescues

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31941, 19 March 1969, Page 8

New Craft May Make Submarine Rescues

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter)

PHILADELPHIA.

A new deep-sea craft now under construction may soon be able to rescue men entombed at the bottom of the ocean in disabled submarines.

The craft, the United State* Navy’* deep submergence rescue vehicle (D.S.R.V.), i* designed to complete the rescue of men within 30 hour* of a submarine disaster. All submarines now in use must be refitted to be able to make use of the D.S.R.V. The first to be overhauled for this purpose is the Navy’s fast attack submarine, Sailfish, which is having trials for an eventual testrendezvous.

marine survivors at one time, plus a third D.S.R.V. crew member. A bottom hatch and mating skirt, which will mate a disabled submarine’s escape hatch, and an upper escape hatch are fitted to the centre sphere. The pressure hull and machinery and supporting equipment will be housed in a fibre-glass outer hull. The hull is now being assembled by the Lockheed missiles and Space Company, of Sunnydale, California. To make a rescue mission, the D.S.R.V. is designed to be carried by air to an airfield near the casualty scene. At the harbour, the D.S.R.V. and equipment would be attached “piggyback” to a “mother” submarine. The mother submarine will proceed to the operational area. At the scene, the D.S.R.V. will detach itself from the mother submarine and home

in on the disabled sub* marine. Sonar and high-intensity lights on the D.S.R.V. will be used to find the disabled submarine's escape hatch. The D.S.R.V. will use a mechanical arm to clear away debris. Its rescue skirt will be attached to the submarine's escape hatch. The escape hatch will be pumped dry nc n pressure between the •hl’ an d the submarine will be equalised. The hatches will then be opened so men can transfer to the D.S.R.V.

The Sailfish has a new type of escape hatch designed to hook up with the D.S.R.V. All Navy submarines eventually will be fitted with the new escape hatch. The D.S.R.V. pressure hull will be made up of three connecting high-pressure spheres, all of the same size. The first sphere bouses control equipment and two operators. The other two spheres will be designed to carry 24 sub-

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