Fuente : UK Government
http://www.open.gov.uk/

UK: ROYAL NAVY TEAM CELEBRATES SUBMARINE RESCUE SUCCESS

/noticias.info/
The Royal Navy team which played a vital role in the international rescue of seven Russian sailors trapped in a sunken submersible, are this morning celebrating a successful end to their mission.

The team, which deployed with a SCORPIO 45 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), took about five hours to cut the Russian Priz submersible free after it became tangled in fishing nets and cables.

Commander Jonty Powis, the UK's submarine escape and rescue specialist, said:

"The team is absolutely delighted to have helped to bring the men who were trapped in the submarine safely to the surface. This was a dangerous situation, with the rescue mission under pressure as oxygen levels in the submarine ran low."

"The sheer speed of the rescue effort from the Russian Navy, assisted by the Royal Navy team, was the key to a successful mission. All submariners understand the special demands of working together in a uniquely challenging environment. We are all so very pleased to see our Russian colleagues safely returned from the sea."

Following a request from Russia for assistance, the SCORPIO 45 and its six-strong operating crew were flown in a RAF Boeing C-17 aircraft to Petropaclask, Kamchatka in Russia on Friday night.

The SCORPIO 45 unit was immediately transferred onto a Russian cable-laying vessel and, on Saturday night, sailed to the site of the incident, about 60 nautical miles offshore. A small team of divers and medical personnel from the United States Navy accompanied the team.

The vessel arrived at the scene at around 10pm UK time on August 6th. The SCORPIO 45 was quickly deployed, reaching the stranded vessel about an hour later.

The first task for the ROV was to locate the trapped submarine, without itself becoming entangled in the fishing nets and cables that had trapped the Russian mini-submarine. The team then swiftly began removing the nets with the ROV's remote controlled cable-cutting equipment.

This difficult operation took several hours, and once disentangled the Russian submersible was able to surface with all its crew safe and well.
Secretary of State for Defence John Reid, who had been very closely following events in Russia throughout the operation, said he was both very pleased and relieved with the outcome.

"I am delighted that we have been able to offer assistance to this rescue operation, which has been a fine example of international co-operation in the face of great difficulty.

"Britain has a world-leading capability in the field of submarine rescue, and we have been able to utilise that capability to save lives. I'd like to offer my congratulations to all of those involved."

The SCORPIO 45 is owned by the Ministry of Defence and managed by James Fisher Rumic.

Notes for Editors

The ROV SCORPIO 45 is an unmanned remotely operated vehicle. It can operate down to depth of 925m (limited by the length of its umbilical cable). It is fitted with 3 cameras and cable cutting equipment to cut steel cable up to 70mm diameter for debris clearing.

For further information see the MOD website at http://www.mod.gov.uk and the Royal Navy website at http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk.



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