Agenda Session

The U.S. military maintains and operates a manned underwater vehicle (MUV), the Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM), that is used for submarine rescue response. The submarine rescue handling system is classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), part of the International Association of Classing Societies (IACS), to ensure safety standards are established and adhered to. The rescue system’s concept of operations includes a capable vessel of opportunity (VOO) to serve as a Mother Ship (MOSHIP) where the PRM and its support equipment is installed on the working deck. Submarine rescue has been around since the 1930s and countries around the world still maintain and operate different rescue systems. This presentation will discuss the MOSHIP Surveyor’s responsibilities at the U.S. Navy’s Undersea Rescue Command (URC) in San Diego, California. URC’s Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System (SRDRS) includes the tethered PRM being deployed into the water column off the stern of a VOO with an A-frame that is built on the seaport’s pier. The MOSHIP Surveyor assists URC to build rescue plans which include detailed VOO surveys, airfield surveys, and seaport surveys; ensuring the SRDRS can be safely transported and mobilized onto a VOO in the event of any submarine emergency around the globe.