Jun21

DV Day (Distinguished Visitors) took place today. A number of distinguished guests and VIPs were invited to ITS SAN GIUSTO for a series of briefs and presentations on Exercise Sorbet Royal 2005. From here they were transported to various ships within the vicinity to observe the day's serials.

6 Serials were conducted with the key even being the Senior Officers Demonstration Day. The weather conditions were excellent, with flat seas and a 0.5Knot Southerly current.

(Pictured Right -  LR5 UDRC Pressure Transfer Chamber)

The following types of serial were performed today,

SURVEYEX - The approach and survey of a distressed submarine by divers.

MATEX - The mating and de-mating of a submarine rescue chamber with a distressed submarine.

RESCUEX - The rescue of personnel from a distressed submarine.

PODEX - The posting of a POD to resupply essential life support stores, by passing the POD through either an escape trunk or torpedo tube.

VENTEX - This is where the distressed submarine is ventilated from the surface through a salvage air system.

SPAGEX - The Submarine Parachute Assistance Group exercise.

The ITS ANTEO, FRS AILETTE and FRS PLUTON performed a RESCUEX and VENTEX with the Italian Submarine LONGOBARDO supported by divers from Israel, Spain and Russia. The RESCUEX was conducted in 37m of water and the submarine was bottomed for 11 hours.

(Pictured Left - Recovery of personnel during ESCAPEX)

The USS GRASP, SRC and ADS carried out a RESCUEX with the Spanish submarine SIROCO supported by divers from Greece, Turkey and Spain. The RESCUEX was conducted in 25m of water and the submarine was bottomed for a total of 12 hours. This exercise included 6 hours of ADS training in 126 feet of water and 1 mixed gas dive with 2 divers to the same depth.

The UK VOO FENNICA today conducted a RESCUEX, PODEX, and SURVEYEX on the Turkish submarine PREVEZE in 79m of water supported by divers of the same nation. The exercises lasted 14 hours with the RESCUEX transferring 44 personnel in total with transfer under pressure training.

(Pictured Right - Surfacing personnel during ESCAPEX)

The HNLMS MERCUUR, UKR KREMENTS, UKR SLAVUTYCH and RMAS SALMOOR performed a SCAPEX and SPAGEX with the Netherlands submarine DOLFIJN. The serials carried out at a depth of 30m for a total of 8 hours were supported by divers from Canada and Greece. There were 12 escapees recovered by 8 Ukrainian SPAG divers.

(Pictured Left - Launching of the LR5)

Other serials conducted today included familiarization training by SP NEPTUNO, RFN SHAKTYOR and RFN divers as well as SPAGEX by UKR SLAVUTYCH, RMAS SALMOOR and the UK SPAG team.

Senior Officers were today breifed by the Senior Medical Officer on the status of submarine rescue medicine as part of senior officer demonstration day.