Big Achievement: Indian Navy's DSRV successfully undertakes underwater personnel transfer in distress submarine simulation, joins select group

The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) based at Visakhapatnam, successfully undertook a live mating exercise on June 2. This included personnel transfer from the bottomed submarine, INS Sindhudhvaj, simulating as a Distress Submarine, to the surface using the DSRV. The entire operation was conducted by the Indian crew and marks the culmination of the training phase on the East Coast. 

The then-Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba had earlier inducted the vehicle on December 12, 2018. The induction of the vehicle had put the Indian Navy in a small league of nations that have integral submarine rescue capability. 

The Navy had successfully concluded maiden trials of the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) on October 15, 2018.  The vehicle can rescue as many as 14 people in one dive

 During the trials, the DSRV dived successfully up to 666 metres, which is a record for deepest submergence by a 'manned vessel' in Indian waters.

The DSRV crew had carried out remotely operated vehicle operations at a depth of over 750 metres and side scan sonar operations at a depth of over 650 metres, which were all 'firsts' for the Indian Navy. 

The DSRV is likely to be permanently deployed on one of the two mother ships that are being built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited, and it can be flown away in case of emergency rescue. 

The submarine hatches on which the mating was carried out have been certified by the IN Submarine Designer i.e. DND (SDG). This is also a skill that has been newly acquired by the Indian Navy. The live mating exercise is a historic achievement towards DSRV integration into the Indian Navy and would pave the way for the Indian Navy to emerge as a Submarine Rescue Provider in the Indian Ocean Region.

Here are pictures of the wonderful feat:

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Defence analysts and journalists heaped praises on the Indian Navy for achieving this enviable feat.