With the objective to extend support in terms of rescue of submarines in case of a mishap at sea, the Navy has inducted its first Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV). With this induction India has joined a select group of countries having the capability to locate and rescue submarines in distress.
At present US, China, Russia and a few other countries have this capability to deploy DSRVs.
"Indian Navy joins select league of nations with capability to search, locate and provide rescue to distressed submarines by induction of first Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel(DSRV) and associated kit in fly away configuration," Navy spokesman D K Sharma said here on Saturday after the DSRV was inducted at Mumbai naval base.
Though DSRVs are used for rescue of personnel in downed submarines, they are also deployed for various other missions including to lay cables on the sea bed. Some DSRV vessels are air transportable in very large military cargo. Sharma said the DSRV at Mumbai can be mobilised from the naval base to nearest mounting port by air, land and sea. The second DSRV is expected to be inducted at Visakhapatnam in 2019. They can rescue a submarine from a depth of 650 metres and James Fisher Defence of UK supplied these vessels.
Induction of DSRVs is part of the Indian Navy's efforts to extend its reach far away from shore by providing cover to the submarines which patrol along with warships the critical sea lanes in the Indian Ocean and beyond as part of its mission based deplolyment.
Incidentally, the Navy last month signed a contract with Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Vishakhapatnam for the construction of two Diving Support Vessels (DSV), a key requirement for submarine support operations at sea. The total cost of the project is worth over Rs 3,000 crore.
The first vessel to be built over a 36 month period would be followed by the second, six months later. The vessels to be based at Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai respectively, would be of 118 m in length and of approximately 7,650 tonne displacement,
The Navy undertakes diving operations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) which necessitates operations to facilitate various activities such as submarine rescue, under water inspection, testing or salvage, and recovery of objects/ship/ aircraft lost at sea. The DSV enables divers to remain under water for extended durations along with their equipment. It is also equipped with a Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), which is critical for submarine rescue.