Posted on 12/05/2006 4:09:15 PM PST by SmithL
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (NNS) -- Seven personnel practiced locking out from the attack submarine USS Los Angeles (SSN 688) and ascending to the surface wearing special suits that are designed to enable a free ascent from a stricken submarine Dec. 2 during ESCAPEX at the Navy’s Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility in Ketchikan, Alaska.
While several foreign navies practice the maneuver routinely, the U.S. Navy had not conducted it in more than three decades, and never from a nuclear-powered submarine.
The Navy’s renewed interest in submarine escape comes as U.S. submarines operate more frequently now in shallow coastal waters, said Submarine Development Squadron (CSDS) 5 Commander Capt. Butch Howard, who oversaw the exercise.
“Today, submarines spend a greater amount of time in the littorals or shallow water, which supports the overall concept of escaping from a possible distressed submarine,” said Howard. “It’s imperative that our sub crews be familiar and comfortable with this operating procedure no matter how remote the potential for its use.”
The MK10 Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment, or SEIE, allows survivors to escape a disabled submarine at depths down to 600 feet, at a rate of eight or more men per hour. It is designed to enable a free ascent from a stricken submarine and provides protection for the submariner on reaching the surface until rescued. The assembly is comprised of a submarine escape and immersion suit, an inner thermal liner and a gas inflated single seat life raft, all contained in an outer protective stowage compartment.
For the exercise, Los Angeles embarked six U.S. Navy divers, as well as a British diver from the Royal Navy. The submarine submerged to 130 feet, where each of the seven divers donned the SEIE suits, entered the escape trunk, and ascended.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.navy.mil ...
One Ping Only
Comfortable? They could practice at New London. Oh, wait.
It might come in handy, but the odds are heavily against the sailors on any stricken submarine. They know that. Stealth is their primary ticket to survival.
Don't they already do that? They used to ...
I can only imagine the chances of survival doing something like this can't be good...then I think about those poor guys on the Russian Kursk several years ago, trapped in that sub with no way out, and, well, "not good" sure beats "zero."
}:-)4
I did the tower at New London, but I never thought that would be like an open ocean escape from a real submarine.
My Bad. A very nice Mod fixed it for us.
Actually, there is an escape trainer in Groton. They built a new one to replace the tower on the Hill behind Bldg. 448.
No, it probably wouldn't be much like that in real circumstances. I worked at New London. They did simulation training, that much I can probably say. The resemblance to being on a sub is there were no windows in the building.
So they're getting rid of the Stenke hoods, or have they done that already?
I say New London, but of course it was actually Groton. Charming town.
Yup. Spent a some time there in the early 60's. I went up that tank too.
PEARL HARBOR, HI--A crewmember from USS Key West (SSN 722) receives training with the Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE MK10). Several submarines have already installed the new system including USS Key West, one of 17 attack submarines homeported in Pearl Harbor slated to implement the new survival suit and accompanying equipment. This suit allows survivors to escape a disabled submarine (DISSUB) at depths down to 600 feet, at a rate of eight or more men per hour. The SEIE is designed to enable a free ascent from a stricken submarine and to provide protection for the submariner on reaching the surface until rescued. The assembly is comprised of a submarine escape and immersion suit, an inner thermal liner, and a gas inflated single seat life raft, all contained in an outer protective stowage compartment.
October 15, 2004
Yeah, The Steinke Hoods are long gone. We use SEIE suits now. They are a full body suit with some wet suit features. They inflate in the trunk and once on the surface, they are supposed to be sort of a whole body life preserver.
No more "Ho, Ho, Hos" all the way to the surface?
Ha...I did too, back in 79. I was nervous as hell, too! :)
I was always told the MK10 was for mothers and wives (to make them feel better, because if you were deeper than 150 ft. you could kiss it goodbye!
I remember them telling us that the divers would punch us in the stomach to make us breath, if needed, and if we didn't hohoho...:)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.