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Success for 'Kursk' Upgraded Russian Navy Rescue Service
01 May 2003
The Russian Navy Rescue Service have successfully completed a two week operation locating and recovering a Pacific Fleet Ka-27 naval helicopter and its crew that was lost in the Sea of Japan. This was the first operation of its kind to bring together the Russian Navy's new equipment, technology and procedures acquired under the 2002 Navy Search and Rescue Support System Development Programme that was initiated following the Kursk submarine disaster.
The Programme included the purchase of two Hydrovision Venom work class and seven Seaeye Tiger observation class ROV systems as well as one atmosphere diving suit and specialist salvage tools. During the helicopter location and recovery operation a Seaeye Tiger fitted with a sector scanning sonar and video suite was initially used to locate and conduct a video survey of the wreck and to find three crew members in 72m of water.
The ROV video survey of the wreck site was to prove invaluable in the salvage planning process as well as providing a record of the situation for later accident investigation purposes.
The Tiger was then used to direct a manned submersible to the wreck site and provide support to navy divers used to sling and recover the helicopter.
The ROV was then used to recover smaller parts of wreckage from the seabed using the four function manipulator with which it is fitted. This same manipulator was also used to recover the bodies of the three crew members found during the initial ROV sonar search.
The Russian Navy reported that their Seaeye Tiger systems proved invaluable in water depths where strong currents, high seas and poor visibility were encountered.
Tiger operator Captain S Vassel said, 'The Tiger's power, ease of operation and reliability, together with the sensors and tools with which it was fitted far exceeded our expectations in the very demanding conditions that we encountered in the Navy's first operation of this kind. The success of the Tiger system has proved the benefits of the technical upgrading of the Navy Search and Rescue Support Service.'
MJ Information No: 18214
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