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LONDON, England, June 14, 2004. Following an international competition, the British Ministry of Defence, together with partner nations France and Norway, has placed a £47m contract with Rolls Royce for a new high-tech rescue system to help crews escape from sunken submarines anywhere in the world.
The project -- the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) -- will be based around
a 10-metre, 27-tonne submarine, operated by a crew of three, which can dive
down to a stricken boat and dock with it, bringing the crew up to the surface
in batches.
As well as a rescue submarine, the contract will provide for an unmanned craft which will locate the sunken submarine, decompression chambers, medical facilities, and other support equipment. The contract also covers support and operation of the system for the first ten years of its life.
The new system will replace the current rescue submarine based on the LR5 submersible, which is reaching the end of her design life. The project will help sustain around 85 jobs across the country.
"This system will give us and our partners the most effective submarine rescue system available. Our submarines are painstakingly designed with safety in mind and their safety
record is impeccable, but they operate in the harshest of environments and it is vital we have an effective rescue capability," said the British Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Bach.
"This project is a fine example of how working with partner nations can bring great benefits by sharing both cost and expertise."
The NSRS will be based in HM Naval Base on the Clyde, where it will be able
to respond to emergencies anywhere in the world within 72 hours. The new system is scheduled to enter service at the end of 2006 and will have a life of 25 years.
Other benefits of the deal include:
* The system fits the long term goals of NATO planners because developing flexible and rapidly deployable forces is a key priority for NATO, and the successful procurement programme for NSRS is seen as a good example of how NATO nations can work together to deliver the kind of modern capabilities required for meeting the challenges of today's strategic environment.
* Although procured in a three-way arrangement with UK, France and Norway,
the system could be made available to assist any nation anywhere in the world.
* The partner nations will have joint ownership of the majority of the
equipment but the system will be operated by the prime contractor under a
Government Owned/Contractor Operated (GOCO) arrangement.
* In an emergency, heavy-lift aircraft would fly the NSRS to an airport
close to the sunken submarine. The equipment and personnel would then be
embarked on a suitable military or commercial ship at a nearby port.
* NSRS will be compatible with almost all NATO and non-NATO submarines,
including the Astute class currently under construction at Barrow-in-Furness.
* The Rescue Vehicle, equipped with sonar and video, a heavy duty cutting
arm, and large viewing port, will be able to dive to depths of 600 meters to
mate with a submarine rescue seat around escape hatches.
For more information, see www.thenewsmarket.com/rolls-royce.
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