Australian Submarine Rescue VehicleRemora
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Name | Remora |
| Namesake | Remora |
| Builder | OceanWorks International,North Vancouver, British Columbia |
| In service | 1995–2006 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine rescue vehicle |
| Displacement | 16.5 tonnes (18.2 tons) |
| Test depth | Over 500 metres (1,600 ft) |
| Capacity | 6 passengers |
| Crew | 1 onboard operator, 12 personnel on surface |
| Time to activate | 36 hours to transport + 25 hours to fit and deploy |
Australian Submarine Rescue VehicleRemora(ASRVRemora) was asubmarine rescue vehicleused by theRoyal Australian Navy(RAN) between 1995 and 2006. The name comes from theremora,a small fish that can attach itself to larger marine life, and has thebackronym"Really Excellent Method of RescuingAussies".[1][2]
Remorawas constructed byOceanWorks InternationalofNorth Vancouver, British Columbiafor the RAN, based on adiving bell.[1]The 16.5-tonne (18.2-ton) vehicle was designed to mate with a submarine'sescape tower,and could do this even if the submarine had rolled up to 60 degrees from vertical.[1][2]The vehicle can operate at depths over 500 metres (1,600 ft) and in currents of up to 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph), and was intended for use below 180 metres (590 ft); the maximum safe depth forSubmarine Escape Immersion Equipment.[1][3]The submersible carried seven people: an onboard operator and six passengers.[1]Those aboardRemorawere kept under about fivebarsof pressure, and rescued submariners exited into one of two 36-manrecompression chamberscarried aboard the rescue ship.[1]
Remoracould be controlled from a containerised facility aboard the rescue ship, with power, control, and sensors fed through an armoured umbilical cable.[4][5]Twelve personnel make up the surface control complement, with this number supplemented bydiving medicinespecialists and divers.[5]The entire setup (Remora,control centre, and recompression chambers) could be transported by road or sea, or loaded intoC-130 Herculesaircraft.[4][3]Remoracould be delivered to anywhere in Australia within 36 hours, and installed on a suitable vessel in another 25 hours.[3]TheDefence Maritime ServicestenderSeahorse Spiritwas designated the main tender forRemora,although any vessel with sufficient space to carry and deploy the equipment (300-square-metre (3,200 sq ft) of deck space, with 8 metres (26 ft) minimum width) could be used.[6][5]
In December 2006, the umbilical cable parted during an exercise off Perth, trapping two men at a depth of 140 metres (460 ft) for 12 hours.[2]The men were rescued, butRemorawas not recovered until April 2007.[2]The submersible was sent back to OceanWorks for repairs.[2]Although repairs were completed,Remoradid not reenter service as theDet Norske Veritasclassification society refused to certify the submersible; the launch and recovery equipment did not meet updated safety standards.[2]As of the end of 2008,Remorawas in storage atHenderson, Western Australia.[2]To cover the capability loss, theDepartment of Defencearranged for the BritishLR5submersible to be flown to Australia if submarine rescue was required.[2]In June 2009, LR5 was relocated to Australia on lease.[7]
Remorawas the basis for the United States Navy'sSubmarine Rescue Diving Recompression System.[8]
Citations
[edit]- ^abcdefDavidson & Allibone,Beneath Southern Seas,p. 166
- ^abcdefghStewart,Rescue system for submarines a failure
- ^abcRoyal Australian Navy,Submarine Rescue Vehicles
- ^abDavidson & Allibone,Beneath Southern Seas,p. 167
- ^abcInDepth Project Management,Australian Submarine Rescue Vehicle (ASRV) Remora Fact Sheet
- ^Wertheim (ed.),The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World,p. 19
- ^Remora replacement arrives,inAustralian Defence Magazine
- ^Wertheim (ed.),The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World,p. 973
References
[edit]- Books
- Davidson, Jon; Allibone, Tom (2005).Beneath Southern Seas.Crawley, WA: University of Western Australia Press.ISBN1-920694-62-5.OCLC69242056.
- Wertheim, Eric, ed. (2007).The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems(15th ed.). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.ISBN978-1-59114-955-2.OCLC140283156.
- News articles
- "Remora replacement arrives".Australian Defence Magazine.12 June 2009.Retrieved15 June2011.
- Stewart, Cameron (26 December 2008)."Rescue system for submarines a failure".The Australian.Archived fromthe originalon 6 February 2009.Retrieved15 June2011.
- Websites
- "Australian Submarine Rescue Vehicle (ASRV) Remora Fact Sheet"(PDF).InDepth Project Management. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 24 December 2012.Retrieved22 July2012.
- "Submarine Rescue Vehicles".Royal Australian Navy. Archived fromthe originalon 13 June 2011.Retrieved1 March2012.
