Vietnam reveals further details of new submarine rescue capabilities

Vietnam's Z189 shipyard has given further details of the country's new underwater rescue capabilities, following delivery of the Vietnam People's Navy (VPN) dedicated submarine rescue ship.

In response to questions from Janes, shipyard officials confirmed that the vessel, Yết Kiêu (927), was handed over to the service on 30 July. The 93 m vessel was launched in 2019 and underwent a fitting-out process for about 18 months prior to its delivery.

Among systems that have been incorporated onboard the vessel include the Perry XLX-C remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from oil and gas equipment manufacturing company, Forum Energy Technologies (FET).

The ROV is equipped with manipulator and suction arms that can perform intervention functions, such as the clearing away of obstacles, in preparation for a submarine rescue operation.

The ROV can also carry and deliver up to three emergency life support stores (ELSS) pods to distressed submariners via emergency hatches, and can operate at depths of up to 4,000 m. Each pod can be filled with life-sustaining items such as oxygen candles, medical equipment, and victuals.

Besides the ROV, Yết Kiêu has also been equipped with a 10 m submarine rescue vehicle (SRV) that can mate with a variety of submarine types, including the six Project 636.1 (‘Kilo')-class diesel-electric boats operated by the VPN.

The SRV is operated by a three-man crew, and is capable of transferring up to 18 distressed submarines into the hyperbaric recuperation chamber onboard Yết Kiêu under pressurised conditions. It can operate at depths of up to 600 m.