| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Name | Remora |
| Namesake | Remora |
| Builder | OceanWorks International,North Vancouver, British Columbia |
| In service | 1995–2006 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine rescue vehicle |
| Displacement | 16.5 tonnes (18.2 tons) |
| Test depth | Over 500 metres (1,600 ft) |
| Capacity | 6 passengers |
| Crew | 1 onboard operator, 12 personnel on surface |
| Time to activate | 36 hours to transport + 25 hours to fit and deploy |
Australian Submarine Rescue VehicleRemora (ASRVRemora) was asubmarine rescue vehicle used by theRoyal Australian Navy (RAN) between 1995 and 2006. The name comes from theremora, a small fish that can attach itself to larger marine life, and has thebackronym "Really Excellent Method of RescuingAussies".[1][2]
Remora was constructed byOceanWorks International ofNorth Vancouver, British Columbia for the RAN, based on adiving bell.[1] The 16.5-tonne (18.2-ton) vehicle was designed to mate with a submarine'sescape tower, and could do this even if the submarine had rolled up to 60 degrees from vertical.[1][2] The vehicle can operate at depths over 500 metres (1,600 ft) and in currents of up to 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph), and was intended for use below 180 metres (590 ft); the maximum safe depth forSubmarine Escape Immersion Equipment.[1][3] The submersible carried seven people: an onboard operator and six passengers.[1] Those aboardRemora were kept under about fivebars of pressure, and rescued submariners exited into one of two 36-manrecompression chambers carried aboard the rescue ship.[1]
Remora could be controlled from a containerised facility aboard the rescue ship, with power, control, and sensors fed through an armoured umbilical cable.[4][5] Twelve personnel make up the surface control complement, with this number supplemented bydiving medicine specialists and divers.[5] The entire setup (Remora, control centre, and recompression chambers) could be transported by road or sea, or loaded intoC-130 Hercules aircraft.[4][3]Remora could be delivered to anywhere in Australia within 36 hours, and installed on a suitable vessel in another 25 hours.[3] TheDefence Maritime Services tenderSeahorse Spirit was designated the main tender forRemora, although any vessel with sufficient space to carry and deploy the equipment (300-square-metre (3,200 sq ft) of deck space, with 8 metres (26 ft) minimum width) could be used.[6][5]
In December 2006, the umbilical cable parted during an exercise off Perth, trapping two men at a depth of 140 metres (460 ft) for 12 hours.[2] The men were rescued, butRemora was not recovered until April 2007.[2] The submersible was sent back to OceanWorks for repairs.[2] Although repairs were completed,Remora did not reenter service as theDet Norske Veritas classification society refused to certify the submersible; the launch and recovery equipment did not meet updated safety standards.[2] As of the end of 2008,Remora was in storage atHenderson, Western Australia.[2] To cover the capability loss, theDepartment of Defence arranged for the BritishLR5 submersible to be flown to Australia if submarine rescue was required.[2] In June 2009, LR5 was relocated to Australia on lease.[7]
Remora was the basis for the United States Navy'sSubmarine Rescue Diving Recompression System.[8]
