

•| 





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luPiOfav "^^ 



r 



years covered above (Fig. 3.33), but their 

 details are not available. From what can be 

 gleaned, they incorporate the same general 

 design and operational features as the NEK- 

 TON, PC-3A, NAUTILETTE and SPORTS- 

 iWAiV-class submersibles. The reasons for 

 their construction can probably be found in 

 individual motivation, and detailing their de- 

 sign would likely reveal nothing more than 

 what can be attained from those listed in 

 Chapter 4. 



Large American industry has all but 

 stopped construction of submersibles; even 

 to lease those built and now inactive would 

 require guarantees of long-term leases which 

 no present user can provide. Government 

 leasing of submersibles in the U.S. has not 

 completely stopped, but the scale is modest, 

 and the user is purely scientific. In 1972 the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency's 

 MUST (Manned Undersea Science and Tech- 

 nology) Program commenced leasing of sub- 

 mersibles for programs dealing with environ- 

 mental research and monitoring and fisher- 



ies research. Several hundred dives have 

 been completed to date with NEKTON, PC-8, 

 SEA LINK and DEEPSTAR 2000. The larger 

 submersibles DEEP QUEST and ALVIN have 

 also been chartered, but on a very modest 

 scale. MUST's (now Manned Undersea Activ- 

 ities or MUA) less than $1 million annual 

 program is aimed at using the state-of-the- 

 art capabilities of submersibles and not at 

 investing funds to enhance their instrument 

 or performance capabilities (45). 



Emphasis in the submersible field has 

 shifted from the Federal government to the 

 offshore oil industry. Although the count 

 varies, at least five vehicles are presently 

 operating in the North Sea; the most ambi- 

 tious operation being Vickers Oceanics Ltd., 

 which owns PISCES I, II and ///, VOL-Ll 

 and in 1973 leased DEEP DTVER and SUR- 

 VEY SUB 1 . 



Large-scale international exploration of 

 the Mid-Atlantic Ridge commenced in the 

 summer of 1973 and will continue through 

 1974. This program, FAMOUS, will use AL- 



69 



