OceanWorks International has been awarded a contract by the Canadian Department of National Defence for another key piece of equipment which will enable submarine rescue cooperation and interoperability with the U.S. Navy.
The A-Frame Template Kit is designed to work along with the Ship Interface Template Set (SITS) previously delivered to the Department of National Defence by OceanWorks International in March of 2010. Together the A-Frame Template Kits and SITS will allow the Royal Canadian Navy to host the US Navy’s Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System’s (SRDRS) Pressurized Rescue Module System (PRMS) rescue vehicle and associated Launch & Recovery System, also built and supplied to the U.S. Navy by OceanWorks International.
The SITS design, which consists of metallic support structures that weld onto a vessel’s deck, enables installation of the U.S. Navy’s SRDRS, including the PRMS, onto a Vessel Of Opportunity (VOO), which can drastically reduce the response time required to reach a Disabled Submarine (DISSUB). The Concept of Operations involves mobilizing the SRDRS via air transport, installing it onto the VOO equipped with the SITS and A-Frame Template Kits, and rushing to the scene of a DISSUB to attempt a rescue of the crew members on board.
The Royal Canadian Navy intends to house the SITS and A-Frame Kit on the East coast of Canada. This will significantly improve submarine rescue response times for both Canada and the U.S. on the East Coast, under a related Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Case between the two governments. The East Coast location is significant since the U.S. SRDRS is based in San Diego and with the Canadian SITS and A-frame templates located in the East, the VOO can be prepared while the SRDRS is in transit to respond to an Eastern DISSUB incident.
“We are very happy to be involved in this project, which highlights the close relationship between the Royal Canadian Navy and their counterparts in the U.S.,” stated Rod Stanley, CEO of OceanWorks International. “The approach of using VOOs and SITS is a growing trend which enables nations with full rescue capabilities to both expand their global reach and make their rescue logistics easier, as well as to give countries without full rescue capabilities the ability to host foreign rescue systems in their waters in the event of an emergency.”
OceanWorks International is an internationally recognized subsea technology company specializing in the design and manufacture of manned / unmanned subsea systems and specialized equipment for military, oil and gas, scientific and other marine markets. Offering a full range of subsea system engineering, design and analysis, fabrication, testing and project management services, OceanWorks International has been at the cutting edge of deep submergence and diving technology, operations, and support for over 20 years.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , February 29, 2012; Image: OceanWorks