Those In Peril Under The Sea - Initial Thoughts on Loss of the TNI Nanggala

 

There is grim news from Indonesia, where reports indicate that one of their Type 209 submarines is currently missing. A search is underway to locate the vessel (the Nanggala) which was conducting exercises at sea with 53 people embarked. At present the vessels location, or her current circumstances are not known.

Submarine operations are arguably one of the most dangerous of all military occupations, with crews operating in an inherently hostile environment that wishes to do all it can to kill them. Submariners are a special breed of people, trained to exhaustingly high standards to know how every part of their boat works, in order to ensure that they can operate it safely.

Even with all of these precautions in place, it is still possible for accidents to happen or things to go wrong. A mistake deep under the ocean can have devastating consequences, and even with the best trained crews in the world, sometimes rescue is required.

As the search continues for the vessel, the key hope will be that she lies somewhere where it is possible to get submarine rescue capabilities on site quickly in order to try to extract the crew.

Both Australia and Singapore possess submarine rescue capabilities, involving mother ships and smaller submersibles capable of rescuing crew from the vessel. At the moment these capabilities will be ready to be used if required to rescue the crew and, hopefully, extract them from their location.

Although not often given much attention submarine rescue is something which is both utterly critical, and also a quiet British success story. The ability to get crews off submarines emerged during the 1970s with the creation of the ‘DSRV’ (Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle).

These miniature submarines were capable of operating off the back of another vessel, and essentially acting as a taxi between the two vessels, bringing the rescued crew back to the new submarine. The DSRV was initially intended for use on US submarines, but work was done to permit it to dock on the escape hatches of other nations, including the UK, to permit international evacuation.

The DSRV also acquired some unintended infamy when the US Navy, sensing an opportunity to exploit it as a cover story, welded a fake DSRV on to the back of the USS HALIBUT, and then used this as space to conduct espionage activities surprisingly close to Soviet beaches.

The fake DSRV - From 'Covert Shores' 

Over time the rescue capabilities emerged and settled on two main areas – the actual submersibles themselves, and also the motherships used to operate them. Many of the submersibles in use today are designed or supported by James Fisher Defence, a British company with a long track record in making both rescue submersibles, and also swimmer delivery vehicles for special forces.

Until 2009 the Royal Navy operated the LR5 submersible, which was then transferred to the Royal Australian Navy, where it remains in service to this day. The Singaporean Navy also operates a rescue system supported by a subsidiary of James Fisher Defence too.

The aftermath of the Kursk incident led to increased global co-operation on submarine rescue, with the realisation that somethings transcend boundaries and politics. To help improve the chances of rescue, the UK chose to support the NATO Submarine Rescue System, which is based in Scotland and able to fly globally at very short notice to support rescue operations.  There is a reasonable chance that if the submarine is found and rescue is possible, then the NATO SRS will be able to fly to Indonesia to assist with rescue efforts.

More widely the Kursk incident led to the establishment of the International Submarine Escape and Regional Liaison Office (ISMERLO), which is based in Northwood Headquarters, the main UK operational HQ in northwest London.

Active since 2003, the organisation works to coordinate submarine rescue operations globally and maintains a small cadre of staff who are experts in this field. In the event of a crisis, then there is a team of experts on call able to provide global support and advice on the best way to conduct both the Search and Rescue elements of this operation.

There is also a wider global network of agreements between different countries to pool submarine rescue capabilities, so that in the event of a crisis, countries can tap into shared assets and help if required. This is why Indonesia, which has an MoU with Singapore and Australia, has turned to them for advice in the first instance.

In terms of what happens next, it remains to be seen how this will unfold. Hopefully the submarine will be found and the crew rescued in time by a wide range of global submarine rescue assets – many different countries possess some kind of rescue capability, although some are a considerable distance from Indonesia.

However this evolves though, we should reflect on a few things. Firstly, this incident serves as a reminder that the sea is an incredibly hostile and dangerous environment. Submarines operate at the very limits of what is technically possible to do, deep underwater and protected from being crushed by just a thin pressure hull. That submarines operate as well as they do is testament to their design, and the industry support behind them.

For the Royal Navy, this incident will be a reminder of the critical importance in investing properly in sufficient safety and rescue measures, and in taking every step to ensure that their boats are as safe as possible. Operating nuclear submarines is an expensive business, because the designs need multiple redundant systems built in to ensure every possible chance of survival when at sea.

When things go wrong, it is crucial that the nation has the ability to rescue its submariners no matter where they are in the world. If it is technically feasible to do so, then there is a moral imperative that this is done. This is why a lot of time and money is spent on maintaining assets like the NATO Submarine Rescue System, and the Submarine Parachute Assistance Group (SPAG), which involves trained rescuers jumping out of an aircraft, into the sea in order to begin the first efforts at rescuing survivors.

More widely it is a reminder of the importance of international collaboration and co-operation. This incident serves as a good example about why nations need to exercise together and work together – for when things go wrong, you do not have time to set up joint ways of working. That Australia and Singapore could turn about so quickly and put these rescue arrangements in play is a good example of this.

Every day there are vessels at sea, operating in the dark silent depths doing extremely difficult and dangerous tasks to keep their nation safe. Even though we may not always see eye to eye with the nations which operate these vessels, there is a shared bond between submariners, be they Australian, British, Chinese or Russian. There is a recognition that in the depths of the ocean, the sea doesn’t support one side over another.

One has to hope that there will be a happy end here. Coming on a week when the Royal Navy celebrated the public rolling out of its 5^th ASTUTE class submarine (the future HMS ANSON), this incident will serve as  salutary reminder of the huge risks that the men and women of all services who go to sea in submarines face.