Rescuing a submarine and its sailors: India practices with US help

What happens if one of India's 15 submarines malfunctions underwater and sinks with its crew on board? As India is forced to operate an aging fleet - some over two decades old - the prospect of facing such a situation is almost real. It is perhaps to address this gap that for the first time India-US will be carrying out an exercise to rescue its trapped submarines. This is first that the Indian Navy will carry out such a complex exercise.

The Indo-US submarine rescue exercise named 'INDIAEX-2012' will start tomorrow and is likely to continue for nearly a month. During the exercise, four Indian submarines are likely to sail into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai and simulate a distress situation.

The Deep Submergence Rescue vehicles ( DSRV) of the US Navy's Undersea Rescue Command will then get into action and try to pull out the trapped sailors.

"The exercise will be carried out at various depths and differing conditions," a senior Navy officer told NDTV. In a complicated operation, once the distress signal is received, the Indian Navy will use the last known positions, route map, speed and other parameters to try and establish the likely location of the submarine in trouble.

That information will be passed onto the US team, who will then make a dash to the spot and lower a DSRV, which is essentially a mini-submarine equipped with robotic arms, underwater cameras and pressurized chambers capable of transporting about 20 -22 sailors at a time.

"Once the disabled submarine is located and its condition ascertained, the DSRVs, using a complicated and delicate underwater maneuver, mates the escape hatch of the disabled submarine and pulls out the trapped sailors," a senior Naval officer told NDTV.

DSRVs can operate up to a depth of about 610 meters underwater.

Currently, Indian submarines depend on pressurized escape suits and deep sea divers to rescue submarine crews. But this procedure to evacuate trapped sailors is effective in only in very shallow depths.

On August 12, 2000, K-141 Kursk of the Russian Navy - perhaps the biggest nuclear-powered attack submarine - sank following two explosions on board. All the 118 sailors on board died in the accident. Nine days after the incident, when Russia finally accepted international help, deep sea navy divers reached the boat on the sea-bed to find that 23 sailors including the captain had escaped the first explosion and secured themselves in the stern of the boat. But by the time the navy divers reached them, it was too late.

India operates a submarine fleet of 15 including a recently-acquired nuclear-powered hunter killer submarine from Russia - INS Chakra. The indigenously-produced INS Arihant is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and is likely to start its sea trials soon. And by 2015, India is likely to get the first of the much-delayed Scropene submarines from France. The Navy will get a total of six Scorpene submarines by 2020 if there are no further delays.

The Indian Navy's effort to procure its own DSRV has been struck in bureaucratic delays for years. As an alternative, it entered into an agreement with the Undersea Rescue Command of the US Navy in 1997. But it's only now that the deal is being implemented.

Last year, India has floated the first "Request for Proposal (RFP)" to purchase a DSRV. "A Russian and British firm has responded to the RFP and negotiations are at a very preliminary stage" officers told SW.

Indian, US Navies to undertake submarine rescue operations

If an Indian submarine gets "disabled" deep underwater, the sailors are sunk since the country has only rudimentary submarine rescue facilities. Now, in a unique and complex endeavour, Indian and US Navies are coming together to practice the rescue of "trapped" submariners from deep under the sea.

The Indo-US submarine rescue exercise will start later this month, with the US Navy slated to fly down a submarine rescue system - a deep-submergence rescue vessel (DSRV) or a submarine rescue chamber (SRC) — to Mumbai, say sources.

The DSRV or SRC will then be shipped to the exercise area, where it will dive deep underwater to "mate" with the "disabled" submarine to rescue sailors in an intricate manoeuvre rarely practiced by Indian sailors.

A DSRV or "mini submarine", equipped with pressurised chambers, sonars and cameras, can rescue 24 sailors at a time from a depth up to 610 metres after "mating" with a stricken vessel's hatch. At present, Indian sailors only bank upon "submarine escape pressurized suits", or the help of diving support ships like INS Nireekshak, but they can be used only for relatively shallow depths.

Navy's endeavour to procure two DSRVs of its own, for just about Rs 1,000 crore, has been stuck in the doldrums for well over a decade now. As "an interim measure" in 1997, India had inked the contract with the US Navy for its "global submarine rescue fly-away kit" service, paying an initial $734,443 for it.

But the agreement also got derailed due to the post-Pokhran-II sanctions in 1998. It was later revived in 2004, but there has been a huge delay in setting up the requisite infrastructure needed for it. This also included fitting of "Padeyes" - holding devices welded into submarine escape hatches to secure the DSRV - on Indian submarines. The US rescue system, as per the deal, will be transported to India within 72 hours of an emergency.

Proper submarine rescue facilities are critical for India since it has an ageing fleet of 14 diesel-electric submarines — 10 Russian `Kilo' class and four German HDW ones — apart from the nuclear-powered INS Chakra leased from Russia earlier this year.

There are also six French Scorpene "killer" submarines, being constructed at Mazagon Docks under the Rs 23,562 crore 'Project-75', slated for delivery in 2015-20, three years behind schedule. India also hopes to make its own nuclear submarine INS Arihant operational next year, which is to be followed by two additional "follow-on vessels".

Indonesia-Singapore Submarine Rescue Pact: Promoting Southeast Asian Naval Cooperation – Analysis.

In view of the ongoing quest for submarines in Southeast Asia, the recent signing of a submarine rescue pact between Indonesia and Singapore bodes well for future regional cooperative efforts among existing and future submarine operators in Southeast Asia.

The signing of a submarine rescue pact between Indonesia and Singapore on 10 July 2012 constitutes a pioneering move amid the ongoing regional quest for submarines. Comprising protocols for resource-sharing and development of joint operating standards, this agreement is one of a handful of new naval cooperation initiatives observed in Southeast Asia in recent years.

The Submarine in Modern Naval Warfare

The submarine is long valued for its ability to exert disproportionate impact in naval warfare. A suitably-equipped and skillfully-crewed submarine may allow a weaker navy to create problems for a stronger navy. Notwithstanding the advent of the nuclear-powered submarine, the diesel-electric powered submarine (SSK) remains relevant till this day and continues to feature in the global naval arms market. It remains an attractive choice for smaller navies seeking a credible sea denial capability.

Modern SSK designs have since evolved to incorporate new capabilities to increase their versatility and lethality. For instance, some can be armed with submerged-launch, long-range standoff weapons such as land-attack cruisemissiles. Major international submarine manufacturers nowadays also offer new SSKs equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) which extends submerged endurance for weeks without the need to snorkel. Dubbed the ‘poor man’s nuclear submarine’, an AIP-equipped SSK expands the range of warfighting options for a smaller navy, including a credible power projection capability hitherto unavailable in earlier SSK designs.

Southeast Asia’s Submarine Quest

Therefore, it is little wonder that several Southeast Asian navies eagerly seek modern SSKs, regardless of whether it is a mere token force of one or two boats in service, as part of the overall pattern of regional naval modernisation since the 1990s. Singapore became the second submarine operator in Southeast Asia after Indonesia in the 1990s. Plans by Malaysia and Thailand to acquire their own around the period were stymied by the Asian financial crisis in 1997-98. In the early 2000s, Malaysia revived its submarine program and commissioned a pair of Scorpene-class SSKs equipped with submerge-launched Exocet anti-ship cruisemissile. They were then arguably the most modern SSK in the region until Singapore inducted the first Swedish, AIP-equipped Västergotland-class SSK in 2011.

Probably the most conspicuous was Vietnam’s acquisition of 6 Russian-built Project-636MV Kilo-class SSKs, reportedly armed with Klub-series cruisemissiles, in 2009. In December 2011, Indonesia inked a deal with South Korea for 3 Type-209/1400 SSKs to bolster its existing two-boat force. Even though Thailand recently axed a plan to procure decommissioned German Type-206A SSKs, it continues to express serious interest in acquiring such a capability soon. Even cash-strapped Philippines included at least one SSK in its long-term wish-list as part of its armed forces modernisation program.

Potential Source of Destabilisation

With more submarines projected to roam the mostly semi-enclosed Southeast Asian waters, potential risks exist for regional maritime safety and security. Further compounded by the customary lack of transparency in submarine operations, there is greater hazard of at-sea collisions considering that navigable strategic waterways in the region are characterised by shallow waters.

Equipped with modern signal intelligence suites, submarines can also loiter near or inside foreign waters thus creating a potential source of tension. One may recall the infamous ‘Whiskey on the Rocks’ incident in 1981 when a Soviet submarine ran aground on the Swedish coast near a strategic Swedish naval base in Karlskrona. That incident sparked heated diplomatic exchanges under Moscow’s threat of force to secure the release of the boat and crew.

Therefore, the potential risk of similar incidents occurring in volatile Southeast Asia remains. In fact, such a danger was well amplified in April 2000 when former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid cautioned Singapore’s submarines not to stray outside designated sea lanes when traversing through Indonesian waters while urging the Indonesian Navy to stay vigilant.

Progressing Beyond the Bilateral Pact

Prior to the Indonesia-Singapore pact, the primary submarine-related naval activity was Exercise Pacific Reach, a multinational submarine rescue drill first held in 2000. Seen in this context the promulgation of this bilateral submarine rescue pact is significant. It marks not only a furtherance of longstanding cooperation between the two navies but also symbolises increased trust in the traditionally sensitive undersea domain.

Viewed in the wider context of naval activities in Southeast Asia, this bilateral pact is even more significant since previous regional initiatives mostly revolved around more ‘traditional’ modes such as information sharing and intelligence exchange; ship-to-ship communication and maneuver; as well as surface gunnery and missile firing exercises – but never before in the undersea realm. The implementation of the bilateral pact thus heralds advancement towards broader intra-Southeast Asian naval cooperation.

However, for this bilateral pact to expand into a wider regional initiative, three ingredients are needed. First, bilateral-level trust needs to proliferate among all navies in the region. Second, information-sharing in submarine operational safety needs to gain traction. The recent ASEAN Maritime Security Information-Sharing Exercise co-hosted by Indonesia and Singapore is notable in this respect and may serve as a useful basis.

Lastly, in view of the considerable expanse of Southeast Asian waters wherein submarines are envisaged to operate, it is necessary for all submarine operators in the region to each establish at least a rudimentary submarine rescue capacity. This will facilitate effective pooling and sharing of submarine rescue know-how and resources in Southeast Asia.

Such future initiatives may hold huge promise for regional maritime safety and security, for they provide for not merely better submarine operational safety in the region but also further promote mutual confidence and trust as well as enhanced interoperability amongst Southeast Asian navies.

US deep-sea submarine gets makeover to dive even deeper

Roomier, stronger Alvin will one day ferry three people 21,325 feet into the ocean

 Space-age, but bound for the deep, Alvin's new personnel sphere has been tested and is ready to take on deep-sea pressure.

The crews rebuilding Alvin, the United States' deepest-diving manned vehicle, recently celebrated a significant milestone in the submersible's years-long upgrade with the unveiling of a newly tested titanium sphere that will one day ferry three people 21,325 feet (6,500 meters) deep into the ocean.

Before the upgrade, Alvin could travel to a maximum depth of 14,760 feet (4,500 meters), and the vessel's makeover will extend its reach into the ocean's unexplored depths.

"Right now it reaches about two-thirds of the ocean. At 6,500 meters (21,325 feet) it will reach 98 percent of the ocean," said Susan Humphris, leader of the upgrade project and a geologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Alvin's operator.

Testing, testing…

Engineers tested Alvin's new 11,000-pound (5,000-kilogram) personnel sphere on June 22 at a Northrop Grumman facility in Annapolis, Md., to ensure that the silvery capsule can withstand the crushing pressures of the deep sea.

Safety standards require that the sphere can survive a trip to 26,250 feet (8,000 meters) — a full 24 percent deeper than Alvin will ever dive — where the pressure is 12,000 pounds per square inch.

Designers beefed up the capsule's walls to withstand the additional pressure, increasing them from 2- to 3-inches thick (6 to 8 centimeters). They also added two more windows, for a total of five, to allow greater visibility for passengers, who will also get a bit more leg room.

"The diameter is 6 inches (15 cm) greater than the old one, so we hope it will be a little more comfortable," Humphris told OurAmazingPlanet.

Company in the deep

The announcement comes at a busy time for deep-sea exploration. In recent days, China's manned submersible, the Jiaolong, has claimed the mantle of deepest-diving state-owned vehicle on Earth.

On June 27, in the fifth of a series of progressively deeper dives into the Mariana Trench, the vessel carried a three-person crew 23,170 feet (7,062 meters) down into the ocean. The Jiaolong has now plunged more than 1,640 feet (500 meters) deeper than the previous deep-diving champion, Japan's Shinkai 6500 submersible, which can reach 21,325 feet (6,500 meters).

However, the Jialong is not the deepest-diving craft in existence. In late March, filmmaker James Cameron piloted a submersible to the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep, 35,756 feet (10,890 meters), or nearly 7 miles (11 km), beneath the surface of the sea. Cameron's craft, the Deepsea Challenger, is one he helped design, and is privately owned. [ Images: Cameron's Dive to Earth's Deepest Spot ]

Humphris said the Chinese venture is certainly interesting. "They will be able to go a little bit deeper, so they will be able to go to parts of the seafloor that we can't," she said. "Since the seafloor is so poorly explored, we don't know what they'll find."

Alvin's upgrade is happening in two phases, and the submersible won't be ready to dive to 21,325 feet (6,500 meters) for several years, Humphris said. She said that even though robots, monitored by video from ships, can explore the ocean depths, it's important to send humans, too.

"It's sort of like, why do you go to the Grand Canyon if you can go buy a video of it?" Humphris said. "Putting an eye and a brain at the bottom of the ocean gives you a very different perspective than looking at a TV monitor."

Submarine retires to Morro Bay’s Embarcadero

A retired U.S. Navy submarine has found a new home on the Central Coast.

The deep submergence rescue vehicle Avalon arrived Monday on the Morro Bay waterfront, where it’s set to go on display as part of the Morro Bay Maritime Museum project.

Launched in the early 1970s, the 50-foot Avalon was designed to rescue crew members of downed submarines. It’s one of two deep submergence rescue vehicles built by the United States.

The Central Coast Maritime Museum Association worked with the city of Morro Bay and U.S. Rep. Lois Capps' office to put the 50-foot submarine on public display.