The Royal Navy, in collaboration with French and Norwegian naval specialists, has successfully completed a three-day NATO submarine rescue exercise in Glasgow, testing critical procedures for saving submariners in distress.
More than 100 personnel participated in the intensive mass evacuation drill, which utilised the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS), a rapid-response capability designed to assist submarines stranded at extreme depths. The exercise provided sailors, divers, and medics with the opportunity to rehearse complex rescue operations, ensuring NATO remains prepared for real-world emergencies.
NATO’s Submarine Rescue System
The NSRS, a tri-national project involving the UK, France, and Norway, is designed for rapid deployment in response to submarine incidents worldwide. It consists of three primary components:
- Intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle (IROV) – A remotely controlled system that delivers essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to stranded submariners.
- Submarine Rescue Vehicle (SRV) ‘Nemo’ – A deep-diving rescue craft capable of descending to 610 metres (2,000 feet) and transporting up to 15 crew members per trip to safety.
- Decompression Chamber Complex – A portable medical facility that allows for the safe decompression of rescued personnel while recovery operations continue.
The NSRS is air-mobile and can be rapidly transported by military or civilian cargo aircraft to an appropriate seaport. From there, it is loaded onto a mothership and deployed to the location of a submarine emergency.
Training to Maintain Operational Readiness
Commander Chris Baldwin, Rescue Element Commander and Operations Officer for NSRS, highlighted the necessity of regular training exercises:
“It is vitally important to bring the tri-national team together to conduct a dedicated period of capability training so that our submariners and their families can have confidence that if called upon, their colleagues in the NSRS are ready to come to their aid.”
He described the Glasgow exercise as a vital “mission rehearsal” to ensure personnel from the UK, France, and Norway can operate seamlessly in a real emergency scenario.
Commander Nick Samuels, Coordinator Rescue Forces (CRF) during the exercise, reinforced the importance of maintaining NATO’s submarine rescue capability:
“The NSRS is one of the leading submarine rescue capabilities in the world and is held at immediate readiness to respond to a submarine emergency.”
Ensuring NATO’s Submarine Safety
In the event of a real distress signal, the NSRS would be rapidly deployed. The system would be transported to a designated airport, moved to the nearest operational seaport, and then transferred onto a naval vessel for immediate deployment to the incident site.
The successful completion of the Glasgow exercise reaffirms NATO’s commitment to submarine safety, ensuring that personnel remain trained and equipped to respond to underwater emergencies worldwide.
