U.S. Navy to Deploy URC in search for Argentine submarine San Juan

NewsBharati    19-Nov-2017
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Buenos Aires, November 19: From the last three days, the radio contact with the Argentine submarine San Juan is unavailable. The search operation by the Argentine navy is in the process in the South Atlantic. The Submarine is carrying 44-crew members. The President of Argentina Mauricio Macri said that all national and international resources were being deployed to help find the San Juan as quickly as possible and also the NASA research plane has joined the search for the vessel.

 

Supporting the South American nation's ongoing exploration, The U.S. Navy has ordered its Undersea Rescue Command (URC) based in San Diego, Calif., to deploy to Argentina to search the Argentinean Navy submarine A.R.A. San Juan in the Southern Atlantic.


Deploying two self-governing rescue assets based on a number of factors which includes the variable depth of ocean waters near South America's southeastern coast and the differing safe operating depths of the two rescue systems is known as the Undersea Rescue Command (URC).


The first rescue system will have three U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and one U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft. Also, the Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and submerged interference Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) from Miramar to Comodoro Rivadavia in Argentina. On November 18 all the four aircrafts are scheduled to depart and to arrive in Argentina on November 19.


Through additional flights, the Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) and supporting equipment will be transported in the second rescue system and it is scheduled to arrive in Argentina early next week.

The Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) was designed during the Second World War. It is also known as McCann rescue chamber. SRC reaches depths of 850 feet and rescues six persons at a time. While the Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) can go underwater up to 2,000 feet for docking and mating, with a submarine settled on the ocean floor up to 45-degree angle in both pitch and roll. The PRM can rescue up to 16 personnel at a time.

After a request from the government of Argentina for international assistance, the U.S. government is supporting the ongoing search for the disappeared submarine and possible rescue chances once the vessel and crew are positioned.

A Navy P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft and a NASA P-3 research aircraft are already in Argentina assisting ongoing search efforts near the submarine's last known location.