URF (submersible)
| URF | |
|---|---|
| Technical specifications | |
| Displacement : | 52 t (submerged) surfaced: k. A. |
| Length: | 13.9 m |
| Width: | 3.2 m |
| Crew: | 3 men |
| Load capacity: | 35 people or 3 t load |
| Drive: | Single shaft electric / hydraulic |
| Speed: | submerged: 3 knots surfaced: k. A. |
| Endurance: | 85 hours |
| Diving depth: | 460 m |
The URF ( submarine rescue vehicle , Swedish : Ubåträddningsfartyg ) is a special vehicle of the Swedish Navy .
history
The development of the URF began with an order from the Swedish Ministry of Defense to the Kockums AB shipyard in Malmö to introduce a new type of rescue system for submarines based on the American DSRV . This should replace the previously used McCann rescue chambers , a kind of diving bell . The development at Kockums took place in collaboration with the Marseille- based company Compagnie maritime d'expertises (COMEX), which, in contrast to the Swedish shipyard, specialized in the construction of smaller deep-sea submarines .
Especially for the URF, Kockums had to set up special devices for welding hard steel . Construction of the vehicle began in 1975 and was completed in 1978. The previous rescue ship of the Swedish Navy, the HMS Belos II , turned out to be too small to accommodate the submersible. Instead, the deployment concept envisaged land transport to the port and subsequent towing. Only in 1991 could a ship be used to transport the URF with the commissioning of the former diving support ship HMS Belos III .
At the end of the 1970s, in addition to the rescue version of the URF, Kockums also offered a commercial version of the vehicle that could transport 3 t payload instead of rescue equipment. This variant was specially designed for use in the offshore industry. A special 65 m long special submarine called SSV (Submarine Support Vessel) was also developed, which could transport a URF in a hangar ; however, this vehicle was not built.
construction
The URF is a two-hull boat with a pressure hull made of steel . This is divided into the driver's cab, the rescue chamber with the docking lock, the engine room and a second rescue chamber aft. This means that the boat can accommodate up to 35 people in addition to three crew members, 25 of whom alone are in the front rescue chamber. The rear rescue chamber is also designed as an exit lock for divers . The front docking lock is equipped with all the requirements for docking with a wrecked submarine, including a winch and a steel wire cutter. In addition, a manipulator is mounted under the bow . The URF is equipped with active sonar and searchlights for orientation under water .
The boat is powered electrically . In addition to the main shaft in the stern, the URF is also equipped with a swiveling motor pod to port and starboard; In addition, the boat has a bow and stern thruster . The maximum speed is 3 knots ; the boat can operate autonomously for up to 40 hours. The maximum intended diving depth is 460 meters.
commitment
In the event of a submarine sinking, the URF is brought to the nearest port either on board its mother ship HMS Belos or on a trailer and from there to the site of the accident. The URF can be released at a distance of up to one nautical mile . It then finds its own way with the help of its on-board sonar. As an autonomous manned vehicle, the URF can rescue the entire crew of a crashed submarine from a depth of 460 m with a single dive. It can dock onto the submarine at an angle of up to 45˚. The rescued persons are then brought on board the HMS Belos , where a pressure chamber is available, under constant pressure to avoid diving disease . For this purpose, the URF docks directly to a lock there so that there is no pressure fluctuation.
literature
- Norbert Gierschner: diving boats , transpress / VEB publishing house for transport, Berlin 1980