JFD Shows Submarine Rescue Skills in Navy’s Exercise Off Australia

James Fisher Defence (JFD), part of James Fisher and Sons, has conducted a two-week submarine rescue exercises off the coast of Western Australia.

The rescue tasks were conducted as a part of Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) “Black Carillon 2017” submarine escape and rescue exercise.

The annual safety exercise helped deliver and install critical submarine rescue equipment to the two participating ships, MV Besant and MV Stoker.

Launching from the deck of MV Stoker, JFD’s free-swimming LR5 rescue vehicle with a pilot and two crew, was sent down to depths of 400 meters to locate the underwater target seat and simulate the safe mating to the rescue seat of a real submarine.

“This year threw up some very tough conditions, the weather was closing in and our operations team, engineers and technicians really needed to put their knowledge and experience to the test,” said Toff Idrus, general manager, JFD Australia.

“That makes the success of this operation even more pleasing and shows that the fast, safe and proven submarine rescue service we have been providing to the Navy for the past decade is still unrivalled.”

The fortnight of exercises also included mock rescues in shallower waters of 136 meters, using the RAN submarine, HMAS Waller.

“This year’s Black Carillon exercise was highly successful and clearly demonstrated that we have a capable and reliable submarine rescue suite that is able to respond to a submarine emergency,” said the RAN’s commander of the Submarine Force, captain Geoff Wadley.