Frag Out! Magazine

On 22 May invited media were able to witness the exercise accompanied by Admiral Robertem Kamensky – the Deputy Chief of Staff Submarines for NATO Maritime Command. Presence of the experienced submariner proved an opportunity to freely exchange opinion and coming to an understanding, that for all the technological progress, the sea remains the seaman's most formidable enemy. And that's precisely why effective and efficient rescue capability, especially the underwater rescue capability, is a vital condition of any naval success. The scenario for the Media Day called for a diving accident on board of the ORP Sęp. Swedish HSwMS Belos with NATO's NSRS was seconded to the rescue. After the rescue submersible neared the downed submarine, located it and performed the docking operation, 'rescued' crew transferred to it and surfaced in the NSRS. As the 'survivors' were transferred to the Swedish ship, medical teams were performing suitable procedures, using the vast medical facilities of the rescue vessel. The Swedish, having their own traumatizing submarine mishap in the interwar years, did not spared on the rescue vessels' equipment ever since – their Belos is one of the world's foremost specialized submarine rescue ships in the world. It has three hyperbaric chambers, big enough to decompress the whole crew (capacity of 39 people) at the same time. Other equipment comprises two underwater drones to assist the rescue system, extended active positioning system and vast on-board hospital facilities. The successful rescue by Belos must have been a great morale booster for the crew of the aging Polish Kobben-Class sub, on the verge of her 50th birthday... Dutch submarine HNLMS Bruinvis REPORT

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