| History | |
|---|---|
 Italy | |
| Name | MSM-1 USEL (Unità Soccorso E Lavoro) |
| Namesake | Woodstock (Peanuts) |
| Builder | Cantieri Navali Ernesto Breda,Marghera (Venezia) |
| Launched | 1977 |
| Commissioned | 1980 |
| Decommissioned | 2002 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Deep submergence rescue vehicle |
| Displacement | 12.0tons |
| Length | 8.0 m (26.2 ft) |
| Beam | 1.9 m (6.2 ft) |
| Height | 2.7 m (8.9 ft) |
| Propulsion | Hydraulic motors |
| Speed | +5knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) max speed; 2knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) cruise speed |
| Endurance | 8 hours at 2knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph); 120 hours in emergency with only 2 pilots on-board |
| Test depth | 600 m (2,000 ft) (operating); +900 m (3,000 ft) (collapse depth) |
| Capacity | 8 rescuees |
| Complement | 2 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Notes | pressure hull was made of HY-80 steel |
MSM-1 USEL (Unità di Soccorso E Lavoro - Rescue and Work Vessel) was adeep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) that was rated to dive up to 600 m (1,969 ft).[1] It was built by Cantieri Navali Ernesto Breda/Fincantieri for theMarina Militare. The sub was capable of descending to 600 metres (2,000 ft) below the surface and could carry 8 passengers at a time in addition to her crew.MSM-1 USEL was hosted bymother shipAnteo atLa Spezia from 1980 to 2002. That yearMSM-1 USEL was replaced by theDRASS GaleazziSRV-300.
MSM-1 USEL was the first submersible vehicle for underwater research and work of completely Italian conception. The basic design ofMSM-1 USEL was done by ESCO ofMilan. Thepressure hull is made of HY-80 steel and subdivided in two compartments: a cylinder with hemispherical ends located aft, and a sphere forward, interconnected by a cylindrical tunnel. The afterbody is tapered and finishes with thepropeller cone. Aft stability planes, two vertical and two horizontal, are arranged forward of the propeller.
MSM-1 was updated (MLU - MidLife Update) in 1989 by MARITALIA ofFiumicino. Work took a year to complete and the vessel was renamedMSM-1S USEL. The DSRV's maximum depth was established nearCinqueterre (La Spezia) at 480 m (1,575 ft).
Since 8 September 2015MSM-1S USEL has been held by the Museo Tecnico Navale (Naval Technical Museum)[2] ofLa Spezia[3] and now is preserved for the public.
