Submarine rescue has been in the headlines following the tragic accident involving the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk, which sank in the Barents Sea. This has stimulated worldwide interest in rescue systems. Kockums has recently launched its new submarine rescue vehicle at IMDEX Asia. The new vehicle is a further development of the Swedish URF submarine rescue system. Already proven in service with the Royal Swedish Navy, the system offers a whole range of operational benefits.

The URF is a free-swimming mini-submersible, which offers exceptional flexibility. It can be deployed from it’s mother ship or other surface ships and submarines. It is highly maneuverable and can dock with a submarine even when at angles up to 45 degrees of list. The second-generation URF, which is known as an S-SRV, can rescue an entire crew of 35 men in a single lifting operation from depths up to 700 meters, and can transfer a crew safely from the pressurized environment of a sunken submarine. Developed in compliance with the new NATO standard, the URF´s navigational aids include advanced sonar technology and state-of-the-art underwater cameras.