, For the first time ever officers from the Russian Navy have been taking part in submarine escape training at the Royal Navy's specialist training facility, the Submarine Escape Training Tank (SETT), at Fort Blockhouse in Gosport.
Invited by the Ministry of Defence, the Russian officers from Moscow and St Petersburg received five days of specialist submarine escape and rescue training, including an ascent from a depth of 30 metres. The visit also provided a useful forum for joint discussions with the Russian team adding valuable input and expertise.
This is the latest bilateral meeting in the Anglo-Russian naval co-operation programme that includes staff talks, information exchange and practical training. The two navies have already co-operated actively in this area, and one of the Russian team present was involved in the rescue operation of the Russian rescue vessel Priz AS-28 in August 2005, when the Royal Navy provided active support to this operation by sending the SCORPIO remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
More recently, representatives from the Royal Navy visited the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol to discuss areas of mutual interest and co-operation in submarine rescue. Tri-national co-operation in the field of submarine rescue between the UK, Norway and France has included collaboration on the new submarine rescue vehicle, the Submarine Rescue System, which the Royal Navy will receive in 2007.
Captain Dmitri Podkayev said:
“The facilities at the SETT are first class and it has been a pleasure to work with the submariners of the Royal Navy. We always prefer to meet each other face to face and the training has been invaluable. The sharing of expertise is so important in this environment.”
The Submarine Escape Training Tank was built in 1954, after a review of submarine incidents showed that many submariners were not well equipped or trained for escaping from submarines. The tank, a world-leading centre of excellence that has trained submariners and civilian support staff from over 16 nations in the last 52 years, supports a 100ft column of fresh, chlorinated water. At its core are the 30-metre water escape tower and its staff of 24 Royal Navy submariners.
Apart from occasional shut-down periods for maintenance work the tank has been operational continuously since it was first commissioned. Approximately 1,500 submariners per year, in addition to submariners from other navies, are trained at the SETT. The five Russian Navy officers were representatives from the Main Naval Staff Directorate of Search and Rescue, the Naval Institute of Underwater Research and the Quick Response Rescue Unit.
Lieutenant Commander Bob Mannion, the Royal Navy officer who runs the SETT, said:
“We have been delighted to host our Russian colleagues and hope they have learnt something of value during their time with us. Equally we have benefited from hearing of their experiences.”
Lieutenant Commander Eamonn Grennan, Assistant Naval Attach
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