CHAPTER 4 MANNED SUBMERSIBLES Brad Mooney INTRODUCTION A highlight of the assessment of undersea technology in Russia, Ukraine, and Western Europe was in the area of manned submersibles. Not only did numerous manned submersibles exist in the former Soviet Union (FSU), but vision was exhibited there in planning for future use of this technology, including tourist submarines. The impression gained from observations in the United Kingdom was that, except for submarine rescue, manned submersible use in the United Kingdom in support of offshore oil has been replaced by use of remotely operated vehicles. In France, IFREMER continues to support the concept of placing a man in a submersible for work, science, and exploration purposes. The Nautile serves the French well in this regard. A sketch of Nautile systems and sensor suite is shown in Figure 4.1. Technical specifications are displayed in Tables 4.1 and 4.2. Of the 25 projects visited in Russia and Ukraine, 11 are involved in the design, fabrication (e.g., of components and sensors), and operation of manned submersibles. The eight organizations with projects most closely related to manned submersibles at this time are discussed in this chapter. Figure 4.1. 6,000 m Diving Submersible (Courtesy IFREMER) - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.1 Technical Specifications of 6,000 m Diving Submersible Nautile MAIN CHARACTERISTICS Depth Rating 6,000 m Weight in Air 18.5 t Dimensions: Length 800 m Width 270 m Height 345 m Payload 200 kg Manned Sphere Crew Men 3 Inside Diameter 210 m Sphere Material Titanium Alloy Viewports Number 3 Diameter 120 mm Pitch and Trim Control Mercury Pump ñ12øt AUTONOMY Usual Mission Hours 13 Safety Hours 130 TELEMANIPULATION (DEGREES OF FREEDOM) Gripping Arm (5) Arms 2 Manipulator (7) Arms POWER SYSTEM Power System Pb Battery 50 kWh PROPULSION Main Propulsion Axial Motor 1 Auxiliary Propulsion Vertical Thrusters 2 Lateral Thrusters (forward) 1 High Speed Knots 2.5 Nautical Miles 8 Table 4.2 Communications and Miscellaneous Equipment of Nautile COMMUNICATIONS Underwater Telephone 1 Video-Pictures Acoustic Transmission MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Scanning Sonar 1 TV Camera 1 Photo Cameras 2 External Lights 6 (3,000 W) Subbottom Profiler 1 Dead Reckoning 1 DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND OPERATING ACTIVITIES Intershelf (Moscow/St. Petersburg) J.P. Kenny Intershelf is a joint venture of Russia and the British firm J.P. Kenny. Intershelf has never built a submersible. However, the company has experience in designing and operating bottom crawlers, diver systems, and small ROVs. Intershelf now proposes to produce Sub Tour 10/100, a tourist submarine. This 10-person vehicle with 100 m depth capability is advertised by Intershelf as costing $900,000. Intershelf indicates it can deliver this submarine 18 months after a contract is signed. Sub Tour 10/100 would be built for Intershelf at Energia, a Russian institute normally involved in development and construction of manned space flight systems. Kharax (St. Petersburg) Kharax Company Ltd. is one of the first private companies in Russia focused on building a business around manned submersible technology. This entrepreneurial organization has a cadre of six talented, experienced, and innovative people. Another 180 technicians are employed on a jobshop basis. To date Kharax has focused on a Leisure Submersible Apparatus (LAS), or tourist submarine. The LAS is designed to carry six persons and a crew of two to a depth of 300 m. Kharax is asking $750,000 for the submarine, including its launch and recovery system. Additionally, Kharax will provide operators, operations support, maintenance, logistics, and planning support for the submersible system. A center for underwater tourism (CAT) is another concept that Kharax is exploring. CAT is basically a large ship with observation rooms that accommodate 40 people, an underwater restaurant and diving facilities on the lower level. Kharax provides technical equipment for a variety of subsea expeditions. One of the first efforts for this new enterprise was the expedition to look for the lost Korean 747 airliner. Krylov (St. Petersburg) The Krylov Shipbuilding Research Institute is the principal shipbuilding research institute in Russia. It originally worked only for the Navy, but presently is focused on all disciplines of ship science. This facility performs research similar to that of the David Taylor Naval Research and Development Center in Carderock, Maryland. The facilities for structural, pressure, and temperature testing at Krylov are extensive. Those related to manned submersibles include: a 1.4 km linear tow tank; a 3.2 m diameter pressure test tank that is 9.5 m deep, and capable of testing to 1,000 atmospheres; and a 1.8 m diameter pressure test tank that is 5.5 m deep, capable of testing to 1,500 atmospheres. The engineers at Krylov displayed a 2.4 m diameter titanium sphere, certified for a 4,000 m depth by the Russian registry, for $1 million. Figure 4.2 is a picture of this sphere at Krylov. In addition, it has been reported that Krylov has been testing a composite (including glass reinforced plastic and acrylic plastic) hulls for use in tourist submarines. According to Malachite, this technology originated at the "Prometey Institute." Lazurit (Nizhny Novgorod) The Lazurit Central Design Bureau is one of three design bureaus in the FSU that designed military submarines. The other two are Malachite and RUBIN, both in St. Petersburg. Of the 30 manned submersibles operating in Russia, 24 were designed by Lazurit. About 11 models of manned submersibles and tourist submarines were on display at Lazurit (see Figures 4.3 and 4.4). Diagrams or drawings for another six to eight models were displayed along a conference room wall. The only one recognizable by the visiting WTEC team was the Poseidon deep submergence rescue vehicle. This is similar to the U.S. Navy's deep submergence rescue vehicles (DSRVs). Four Poseidons are in service. Figure 4.2. Titanium Sphere Displayed at Krylov - Graphic File ***.GIF Figure 4.3. CBD Director Kvasha with Manned Submersible Models - Graphic File ***.GIF Figure 4.4. CBD Director Kvasha (right) with Tourist Submarine Models - Graphic File ***.GIF As part of the Russian policy of defense conversion, Lazurit is trying to commercialize its capabilities. The bureau's focus is on an array of small research and work submersibles, and on tourist submarines utilizing various undersea technologies that are the expertise of Lazurit. The designs range from a one-person recreational submersible to a 130,000 ton nuclear-powered submarine container ship capable of carrying 1,000 standard 20-foot containers. Between these two ends of the spectrum are several proposed manned undersea vehicles of various sizes and capabilities. Currently there appears to be considerable interest in the United States for a nuclear-powered oceanographic research submarine for use primarily in the Arctic. Lazurit proposes a built-for-this-purpose submarine named Ocean Shuttle. Of the six to eight tourist submarines proposed by Lazurit, the one that has generated the most interest was a glass-hulled submarine. The term "glass" was originally described to the WTEC team as "composite organic and silicon glass," material reportedly developed in cooperation with Krylov. The innovative concept of a submarine lifeboat, to be used as an escape mechanism from a properly designed offshore oil platform, was discussed. Personnel could escape from an endangered platform down through the inside of a hollow platform leg to the submarine, which would be mated to the leg. Lazurit is involved in several concepts related to projects proposed by ROSSHELF. ROSSHELF proposes to build a complete oil and gas production complex on the sea floor in the Russian Arctic beneath the largest icebergs in the area. Lazurit has been designated as the leading organization within ROSSHELF regarding the development of underwater oil and gas production complexes. The bureau's proposed submarines and submersibles are described in greater detail in the Lazurit site visit report, which is included in Appendix B. Malachite (St. Petersburg) Malachite Marine Engineering Bureau is one of the leading Russian firms in underwater shipbuilding. Malachite built the first Soviet nuclear submarine. Malachite's experience in small submersibles is limited to Thetis, a towed manned submersible. Thetis is designed so that the operator can steer the submersible, to a degree, to the right and left or up and down to best observe the trawl nets of fishermen. There are several versions of the Thetis (sometimes spelled "Tetis") towed manned submersibles. The Thetis H, operated by Mariecoprom, weighs 3 tons, has a length of 3.3 m, operating depth when towed of 300 m, and a submerged speed of 2 to 6 kt for 6 hours. Thetis H carries two people and has a positive reserve buoyancy of 50 kg. In addition to assisting trawling fishermen, Thetis class vehicles have been used to estimate fish stock within the water column of a given region of the world, for underwater filming and observation of underwater structures, and for underwater transmission of video observations to a surface station. The occupants can communicate with its support and towing ship by radio and telephone. Thetis vehicles are equipped with several viewports (depending on the model) and an automatic flash camera system. Malachite has also been active in a closely related underwater intervention field, a man-in-the sea effort. The bureau's research has included the design of the Benthos- 300 vehicle, which can dive to 300 m and accommodate up to 12 scientists and crew. Special equipment built by Malachite for Benthos-300 facilitates long-duration tests on animals aimed at medical issues associated with possible future underwater habitats. RUS, a 6,000 m submersible, is being built by Malachite for the Ministry of Geology. RUS will use silver zinc batteries, Russian manufactured syntactic foam, and a welded titanium hull. Malachite has considerable experience in welding thick titanium. Two test tanks are available at another facility with which Malachite has close contacts. The smaller 2.2 m diameter tank has a depth capability of 6 km. The larger 2.9 m diameter tank has a depth capability of 4 km. In addition, Malachite proposes to design a submersible oil tanker that could transport oil under Arctic ice from North America to Asia. The bureau is also interested in designing various types of tourist submarines. The North 2, a 2,000 m submarine, was designed by Malachite. The status of North 2 was not determined during the whirlwind visit to Malachite. Literature for several undersea vehicle projects proposed by Malachite are listed in the Bibliography section of the Malachite site report (Appendix B). RUBIN (St. Petersburg) The Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering (RUBIN) specializes in submarines and other underwater technologies. Several years ago, RUBIN was a secret institute that could not be mentioned openly. The Typhoon, Oscar, and Komsomolets submarines were designed there. Because of recent conversion efforts, approximately 40 percent of the work is presently defense related, with major thrusts in the past several years concentrating on high-speed train development, nonmilitary submarines, and tourist submersibles. The bureau designed and built Neptun, the only Russian tourist submersible now in service, which began operations in 1993 at the island of Antigua in the Caribbean. Mariecoprom (Sevastopol) The Mariecoprom Scientific Industrial Association, located in Sevastopol, is the operating arm of the Ukrainian Academy of Science. It operates ten submersibles and nine support ships, most of which are converted fishing vessels varying in size from 1,200 tons to 4,000 tons. These vessels conduct oceanographic and geophysical research worldwide. The current undersea interests of Mariecoprom are centered in the Ukrainian portions of the Black Sea. Mariecoprom does not operate unmanned vehicles. The staff at the association strongly believe that the best science is accomplished in situ by knowledgeable and trained scientists. The submersibles operated by Mariecoprom vary in size and capability from the very large twelve-person Benthos-300 to the small, towed, three-person Tetis-H. Mariecoprom is able to provide qualified operating crews at very low daily rates. Mariecoprom does not conduct research and development directly, but operates and maintains support ships and submersibles for the Ukrainian government and its Academy of Science institutes. (The submersible support ships operated by Mariecoprom are described in Chapter 7.) The submersibles operated by Mariecoprom are: Sever-2, Sever-2 Bis, Benthos-300, Omar, Langust, Tinro-2, Tetis-H, and Rif. (See Figures 4.5 through 4.10 and Tables 4.3 through 4.14.) Table 4.3 Sever-2 and Sever-2 Bis Tactical Characteristics and Specifications Surface Displacement (dry weight) 38.7 t Overall Length 12 m Breadth 2.64 m Depth 4.05 m Operating Depth to 2,000 m Crew (2 pilots and 3 operators/observers) 5 persons Maximum Submerged Speed 3 kt Active Submerged Worktime 6 hr Passive Submerged Period 72 hr Power Supply Accumulator battery Figure 4.5. Submersible Sever-2 - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.4 Sever-2 and Sever-2 Bis Operating Capabilities The submersibles are intended for use wherever there is need of underwater technical and research operations, such as: 1. Support for the construction, control, and technical servicing of underwater pipelines, cable routes, and hydrotechnical structures. 2. Search, detection, marking on the ground, and support for the recovery of sunken objects. 3. Data acquisition and mapping of bottom landscapes in seas and oceans. 4. Search for underwater deposits and participation in their exploitation. 5. Support for emergency-rescue operations. 6. Underwater teleshooting, filming, and photography. 7. Search and recording of fishery objects, and prediction and estimation of their stock. 8. Studies of hydrobiont behavior and distribution as affected by environmental factors. 9. Sampling of water, soil, and benthos when submerged. 10. Additional research and underwater activities. The submersibles are designed and their units arranged to provide a dramatic view of diameter of a bow portion of the outboard space, through 3 portholes 140 mm in diameter and 4 portholes 60 mm in diameter in the presence of outboard lamps of permanent and pulse glow. The submersibles are equipped with a system of automatic and manual control. Their system for life-support is reliable. The emergency-rescue devices are adjusted. The electrical radio-navigation equipment offers a stable two-way communication with these submersibles, with the support vessel ensuring search missions and navigation safety of the submersibles. They are also equipped with electrohydraulic manipulators made of titanium alloy with 7 degrees of freedom and a kit of renewable instruments. These features enhance the effective utilization of the submersibles. The submersible is able to embark (both inside and outside the pressure hull) some additional technical and scientific equipment weighing up to 500 kg. Sufficient quantities of spare multicore inputs and hydraulic pipe connections allow one to include this equipment in the electric network and hydrosystem of the submersible. The vessels Odissey and Ikhtiandr, operated by the research and production association Mariecoprom, are the support vessels for the submersibles Sever-2 and Sever-2 Bis. Table 4.5 Tinro-2 Tactical Characteristics and Specifications Displacement 10.5 t Overall Length 7.11 m Breadth 2.49 m Maximum Depth 2.71 m Diving Depth to 400 m Crew (1 pilot and 1 operator/observer) 2 persons Maximum Submerged Speed 2.7 kt Submerged Worktime 6 to 7 hr Emergency Endurance 72 hr Power Supply Accumulator battery Figure 4.6. Submersible Tinro-2 - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.6 Tinro-2 Operating Capabilities The apparatus is designed to accomplish several undersea technical and research activities, notably: 1. Visual observation of the construction and monitoring of the state of underwater pipelines, cable routes, and various hydrotechnical structures. 2. Search, recoding, and recovery of objects not exceeding 300 kg. 3. Visual inspection of supposed sites of deposits of mineral resources, with the ability to take specimens from the surface of the sea floor. 4. Visual control of emergency-rescue operation with sunken floating aids. 5. Search and recoding of fishery objects, studies of the hydrobiont behavior, and distribution as affected by environmental factors. 6. Underwater teleshooting, filming, and photography. The apparatus can be equipped with more instruments and gear, which will increase the technical range of the apparatus implementation. The reserve cable lead-ins can be used to do this (technical capabilities of the apparatus permit the embarking of an additional 200 kg). As a result, the following operations will be possible: - sampling of soil, water, and benthos, when submerged; - data acquisition and mapping of bottom landscapes on the shelf and continental slope The submersible operates from a support vessel equipped with a special launching-lifting assembly that has a 15 t load-lifting capacity, as well as from floating cranes or other floating facilities of suitable displacement, satisfying the requirements of standard support vessel. The apparatus is capable of horizontal and vertical maneuvering within a water column, smoothly varying its position at a given distance from the ground until coming to a position of rest. Viewing of the overboard field is effected through 6 portholes, 140 mm in diameter in the bow portion of the hull, and 3 portholes, 60 mm in diameter. The submersible has simple and reliable equipment for underwater orientation and an up-to-date electric radio-navigation system that enables continuous communication with a support vessel. The submersible possesses an electrohydraulic manipulator with 7 degrees of freedom. Table 4.7 Benthos-300 (Nos. 1 and 2) Tactical Characteristics and Specifications Surface/Submerged Displacement 505/630 t Overall Length 30.3 m Breadth 6.6 m Depth 11.5 m Draught 6.12 m Diving Depth 320 m Crew (7 to 8 hydronauts and 5 operators or scientists) 12 persons Submerged Speed 1.5 kt Surface/Submerged Towing Speed 6/4 kt Submerged Endurance 7 days Power Source Accumulator battery Figure 4.7. Submersible Benthos-300 - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.8 Benthos-300 (Nos. 1 & 2) Operational Capabilities 1. Long-term observations of underwater objects under both stationary and dynamic conditions. 2. Control over the construction and technical state of underwater pipelines, cable routes, and other hydrotechnical structures. 3. Search, discovery, and marking on the ground of sunken objects, as well as providing for their recovery. 4. Data acquisition and mapping of sea floor landscapes on the shelf when erecting appropriate facilities. 5. Light-diving operations ensuring divers entering and going out down to a depth of 60 m. 6. Support to accomplish emergency and rescue operations. 7. Submarine teleshooting, filming, and photography. 8. Various research and other submarine activities. 9. Search and recording of fishery objects, and prediction and estimation of their stock. 10. Studies of hydrobiont behavior and distribution as affected by some environmental factors. 11. Sampling of water, gas, soil, ichthyofauna, and plankton when submerged (provided that the required equipment is installed), and initial processing of samples on board. 12. Fixation of hydrological parameters of the environment (salinity, temperature, etc.) of the ground using the on-board electronic computer. The laboratory has long-term submerged endurance with a simultaneous capability of maintaining more experts on board (in comfortable four-berthed cabins), wide viewing of outboard space through 12 portholes, 190 mm in diameter, and 15 portholes, 140 mm in diameter, in the presence of numerous powerful outboard lamps of both constant and pulse glow, an own-water system with a decompression chamber that makes it possible for divers to go out and enter down to a depth of 60 m, a reliable life-support system for the crew and passengers, adjusted emergency-rescue appliances, and an electric radio-navigation system that enables steady two-way communication with a support vessel and solution of search problems, and provides navigational safety. It is also possible to load the laboratory with some additional technical and scientific equipment weighing many tons. One can substantially increase operational capabilities of the laboratory by installing more equipment, that is: - to apply the laboratory as a unique underwater device capable of lifting from the sea floor loads of up to 100 tons, subsequently transporting them under the bottom of the laboratory to shallow water. - to perform operations of the EPRON type: underwater electric welding and cutting, and hydraulic washout of the ground using a jet with a pressure of 8 kg/cm2 with a water jet efficiency of 40 m3/hr. - to use a tourist version of the laboratory and participate in underwater filming. Table 4.9 Tetis-H Tactical Characteristics and Specifications Dry Weight 3 t Lifted Mass (with Surplus Water in Permeable Portions) 3.6 t Overall Length 3.3 m Extreme Breadth (Wing Span) 3.2 m Extreme Depth 2.1 m Operating Depth When Towed 200 m Under Hydrostat Conditions 300 m Submerged Speed When Towed 2 - 6 kt Submerged Work 6 hr Crew (1 pilot and 1 operator/observer) 2 persons Emergency Endurance 24 hr Power Supply No power supply. Electrical power is supplied by means of a cable from a support vessel. Additionally, emergency accumulator battery. Figure 4.8. Towed Submersible Tetis-H - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.10 Tetis-H Operating Capabilities The apparatus is intended for use wherever there is need for the following undersea technical and research activities: 1. Detection and estimation of the fish stock in the water column of a given region in the world's oceans. 2. Maintaining control over flashing gear of fishing vessels. 3. Underwater filming and photography, and visual observations of underwater objects and structures. 4. Underwater transmission of operative video information to the monitor to screen on board the support vessel. The submersible can be exploited under one of two regimes, the submerged towage regime or the hydrostatic regime, depending on the task. The submersible has a simple and rational design and control system. It is miniature and reliable. Its additional safety is due to positive reserve buoyancy (on the order of 50 kg). The apparatus is equipped with a radio and telephone communication system as well as an automatic camera with a flash. Wide viewing of the outboard space is carried out through 3 portholes that are 300 mm in diameter, and 3 portholes that are 140 mm in diameter. As a support vessel, the Tetis can utilize the vessel equipped with launching and lifting arrangement (load-carrying capacity 4 - 5 t), a special towing winch and low above-water board. Table 4.11 Omar and Langust Tactical Characteristics and Specifications Dry Weight 9.4 t Overall Length 5.6 m Breadth 2.54 m Depth 3.5 m Diving Depth to 540 m Crew (1 pilot and 2 operators/observers) 3 persons Maximum Submerged Speed 2.1 kt Active Submerged Worktime 6 hr Passive Submerged 72 hr Power Supply Accumulator battery Table 4.12 Omar and Langust Operating Capabilities The aforementioned submersibles are intended for use wherever there is need for underwater research, such as: 1. Support for the construction, control, and technical servicing of underwater pipelines, cable routes, and hydrotechnical structures. 2. Search, detection, marking on the ground and support for the recovery of sunken objects. 3. Data acquisition and mapping of bottom landscapes on the shelf and continental slope. 4. Search for deposits on the shelf and participation in their exploitation. 5. Support for emergency-rescue operations. 6. Underwater teleshooting, filming, and photography. 7. Search, recoding of the fishery objects, and prediction and estimation of the stock. 8. Studies of hydrobiont behavior and distribution as affected by environmental factors. 9. Sampling of water, soil, and benthos, when submerged. 10. Various scientific and other underwater investigations. These submersibles are rationally designed, and their units and mechanisms are optimally arranged. They are highly maneuverable and provide a wide view of the outboard space through 9 portholes, 200 mm in diameter, and 6 portholes, 100 mm in diameter in the presence of powerful lamps. The submersibles are simple and reliable to operate. They offer a good life-support system for the crew. The up-to- date electric radio-navigation equipment provides stable two-way communication with a support vessel. The submersibles accomplish search missions and contribute to navigation safety. The submersibles are equipped with an electrohydraulic manipulator with 7 degrees of freedom. These features contribute to the highly effective use of the submersibles. The submersibles are able to embark additional technical and scientific equipment weighing up to 250 kg. Seven reserve multicore cable inputs permit connecting the equipment with the electric network of the submersibles. The fishing vessels Gidronavt and Mariecoprom are the support vessels for the submersibles Omar and Langust. Also, a ship with an assembly capable of launching and lifting less than 20 t, and having a place to house a submersible, can be a support vessel for the described submersibles. Figure 4.9. Submersible Langust - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.13 Rif Tactical Characteristics and Specifications Dry Weight 2.6 t Overall Length 4.2 m Breadth 1.8 m Depth 2 m Operating Depth to 85 m Crew (1 Pilot and 1 Operator/Observer) 2 persons Maximum Submerged Speed 2.5 kt Active Submerged Worktime 4 hr Passive Submerged Period 72 hr Power Supply Accumulator battery Table 4.14 Rif Operating Capabilities The submersible is intended for use wherever undersea technical and research activities are needed, namely: 1. Support to build and maintain control of the state of underwater pipelines, cable routes, and hydrotechnical structures, and their technical servicing. 2. Search, detection, marking on the ground, and support for the recovery of sunken objects. 3. Data acquisition and mapping of bottom landscapes in seas and oceans. 4. Discovery of the off-shore deposits of mineral resources and participation in their exploitation. 5. Support for emergency and rescue operations. 6. Underwater teleshooting, filming, and photography. 7. Search and recording of fishery objects, and prediction and estimation of the stock. 8. Investigations of hydrobiont behavior and distribution as affected by environmental factors. 9. Studies of man-made reefs and plantations of mussels. 10. Sampling of water (into a pressure hull), soil, and benthos, when submerged. 11. Research and other underwater activities. The apparatus is rationally designed, and its units and mechanisms are optimally arranged. It is highly maneuverable and provides a panoramic view of the outboard space through two portholes, 400 mm in diameter, in the presence of underwater lamps. The submersible is easy and reliable to operate. It possesses a high quality life-support system for the crew; up-to-date electric and radio-navigation equipment ensuring a stable, continuous submersible-to-support vessel communication, search targets and navigation safety of the apparatus. The submersible is equipped with an electrohydraulic manipulator with 7 degrees of freedom, with renewable instruments and cassette of samplers. All that and a relatively small and easily transportable mass enhances its highly effective use. The submersible is able to embark additional technical and scientific equipment weighing up to 25 kg. Three reserve multicore cable lead-ins assure its inclusion into the electric network of the apparatus. An important advantage of the Rif is its possible exploitation as a shore-based version. All the required equipment is available. The only thing needed would be 380 V, 7 kW alternating current. The submersible is transported by a motor vehicle to its base site. Its loading and unloading is performed with the help of a truck-mounted crane. As a support vessel for the Rif, one can employ either the sea tug Akhtiar, operated by the research and production association Mariecoprom, or some other vessel equipped with gear capable of lifting no less than 5 t, as well as some place to house and shore the submersible. Figure 4.10. Submersible Rif - Graphic File ***.GIF P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (Moscow) The P.P. Shirshov Institute is part of the Russian Academy of Science. Divisions of Shirshov are in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad (Baltic Base), Ghelendzhik (Black Sea Base), and Moscow (headquarters). The institute operates ten research ships. Six are oceanographic research ships and two are submersible support ships. Shirshov has six submersibles. Two Mir class steel hulled, 6,000 m depth capable submersibles were built in Finland by Rauma-Ripola Corporation. Two Pisces class 2,000 m depth capable submersibles were built in Canada by HYCO Ltd. The Argus 600 m depth capable submersible operates primarily in the Black Sea. Osmotr, with a 300 m depth capability, is located in Ghelendzhik on the Black Sea and is for sale. Experimental Design Bureau of Oceanological Engineering (Moscow) The Bureau of Oceanological Engineering is a spin-off of the P.P. Shirshov Institute. The people who now direct this bureau designed and built the Argus 600 and Osmotr when they were part of Shirshov. This bureau now is building two Rift class 4,000 m submersibles that are 85 percent complete. The institute, which is seeking $2 million in Western hard currency to complete the two submersibles, has also indicated that it would give the funding source one of the submersibles. Table 4.15 describes the Rift submersibles. Figures 4.11 and 4.12 are pictures of the incomplete Rift submersibles. The Experimental Design Bureau of Oceanological Engineering and Rift Co., Ltd. have developed two designs for tourist submarines, Angara TS 6/600 and TS 20/100, which cost $400,000 and $850,000 respectively. (See Table 4.16.) Figure 4.11. Rift Submersible (1) - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.15 DSV Rift (Two Being Built Simultaneously) Depth 4 km Displacement 15 t Crew (1 Pilot, 1 Copilot, and 1 Scientist) 3 persons Dive Time 10 to 12 hr 5 to 6 bottom time Material: pressure hulls and components exposed to sea water Titanium Length 7 m Width 3.2 m Height 3.7 m Cruise Speed 3 kt Life Support Endurance 246 man-hr Battery Capacity 57 kWh Payload at 4,000 m 50 kg Figure 4.12. Rift Submersible (2) - Graphic File ***.GIF Table 4.16 Tourist Subs by Rift Co., Ltd. Proposals for 2 Tourist Subs Tourist Sub 20/100 20 passengers 100 m depth Displacement 50 t Crew 2 to 3 Power 160 kWh Length 12.5 m Width 3.8 m Height 3.6 m Excursion endurance 1 hour Launched 2 yrs after contract Price $850,000 Tourist Sub 6/600 6 passengers 600 m depth Displacement 25 t Crew 2 Power 79 kWh Length 8.2 m Width 3.2 m Height 3.3 m Speed 1.5 kt Endurance 8 hr Price $400,000 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Existing and proposed noncombatant manned undersea vehicles in Russia and Ukraine, both submersibles and submarines, are fundamental, straightforward, low cost, uncomplicated, reliable, and tested. Concepts that work well are retained; those that do not work well are corrected. Many of the existing submersibles are available for lease. Anyone contemplating lease of these vehicles should do so cautiously. The WTEC team only briefly examined the relationships between Russian Registry Certification, Lloyds of London, the American Bureau of Shipping, Det Norske Veritas, and U.S. Navy standards of certification. If contracts or insurance require any of these types of certification, one should check carefully before assuming that Russian certification is acceptable. Some of the designers of manned systems in Russia and Ukraine are now moving slowly into autonomous systems. There does not appear to be an evolutionary transition from manned to ROV to AUV, as is the case in the United States. To date the desire to place man physically in situ persists in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Possible liability considerations and insurance costs have not yet driven their operators to seriously examine alternatives to use of manned vehicles. The extensive use of titanium is very impressive. The use of the term "glass" mentioned during the WTEC team's visits at Lazurit and Krylov deserves further evaluation. Subsequent correspondence to WTEC from Malachite described these materials as "glass-reinforced plastic and acrylic plastic." The optimistic view of the tourist submarine market at most design and fabrication activities as well as in operating groups needs to be questioned and resolved by conducting a thorough market analysis. Greater computing capabilities and the introduction of such tools as computer aided design will enhance undersea vehicle efforts in the FSU. The horizons of scientists and engineers there have been limited and their perspectives conditioned by lack of computing tools. The manned submersible potential in Russia and Ukraine is large. Academically, industrially, and operationally, the existing base is impressive. Opportunities for joint ventures are numerous.