Warship Technology: March 2019
Alongside the management and operation of submarine rescue services based in Australia and Singapore, JFD recently delivered two new submarine rescue systems to the Indian Navy. It has also recently been contracted to build a new submarine rescue vehicle for operation in South Korea and is undertaking preparatory work for the upgrade of Singapore’s submarine rescue system.
Each air-portable system for the Indian Navy comprises a DSAR-650L free-swimming deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV), associated launch and recovery system (LARS) equipment, a Transfer Under Pressure (TUP) system, an SMD Atom Intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle (IROV), and an EdgeTech 4200 series towed sidescan sonar, together with all logistics and support equipment required to operate the service.
The Indian Navy contract provided JFD with the opportunity to turn its vision of a ‘third-generation’ submarine rescue system into an operational reality. The generic concept developed by the company through internal research and development sought to capture the capabilities of its earlier systems – the free-swimming rescue vehicles introduced with first generation designs, and the improvements in technology, practice and procedure introduced with second generation systems (for example, diverless launch and recovery) – and package these into a more efficient and lighter weight design.
In January 2019, the company announced that it had been contracted by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering for the design and build of a new DSRV to equip the Republic of Korea Navy’s new auxiliary submarine rescue ship (ASR-II). As a partner in First Response Marine Pty Ltd with ST Marine, JDR has also revealed that it is undertaking preparations for the mid-life upgrade of Singapore’s submarine rescue system.
