A company created through the merger of James Fisher Defence and Divex has won a contract to provide the submarine rescue system to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) for a further four years after finalising an extension to its contract with the Department of Defence.
JFD Australia has held the contract since 2009 and the announcement ensures continuity of the life-saving service which is on standby and “rescue ready” at all times to retrieve the crew of a disabled submarine anywhere in the world.
“Keeping our submariners safe has always been our number-one priority and we are very pleased to be able to continue this commitment and support to the navy,” Cathy Falkiner, managing director, JFD Australia said.
“Importantly, JFD is able to both operate and sustain all elements of the system which includes the piloted rescue vehicle that dives down to locate and transfer submariners from under the water to the ocean’s surface and a state-of-the-art hyperbaric equipment suite that can provide life-saving medical treatment, if needed.”
“Only JFD has the capability and track record to deliver a complete submarine escape and rescue system as well as adequately operate and sustain the system to global benchmarks.”
JFD Australia’s rescue system is designed to be air-transportable which is a crucial aspect of submarine rescue in a country and region where size, geography and local conditions can be challenging.
Of the six air-transportable submarine rescue systems in the world, JFD has the contracts to supply and support four of them – Australia, India (two systems), and the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) making JFD the world’s leading provider of submarine rescue systems.
