VEHICLE 

 40% 



RELATIVE COSTS OF ACQUISITION OF SMALL 

 VEHICLE WORK SYSTEMS 



RELATIVE OPERATING COSTS OF SMALL 

 VEHICLE WORK SYSTEMS 



Fig. 12.10 Cost percentages of submersible system acquisition and operation. [After Bascom (4)] 



Doerschuk et al. (5) performed a detailed 

 analysis of over-the-side handling concepts 

 of the U.S. Navy's Deep Dive System-MK 1 

 (DDS-1). The approach used was to evaluate 

 every feasible arrangement and to derive 

 one which included features of systems 

 which were not desirable in toto, but con- 

 tained individual features which were desir- 

 able to the final solution. The investigators 

 had one major advantage; the DDS-1 is al- 

 ways connected to its support craft by a lift 

 cable, submersibles are not, and attachment 

 of the lift cable is an evolution equal in 

 magnitude to the lift itself. Their analysis, 

 however, is directly applicable to submers- 

 ible launch/retrieval once the lift com- 

 mences. Indeed, these analyses were suffi- 

 ciently detailed and conclusive to prompt 

 Vickers Oceanics into selecting the stern- 

 mounted U-frame (with modifications) as 

 their method of launch/retrieval (6). 



In 1969 the U.S. Navy's Deep Submergence 

 Systems Project awarded a contract to the 

 Makai Range Inc. of Hawaii to perform at- 

 sea tests and evaluation of a system Makai 

 Range developed known as the Launch, Re- 



covery and Transport (LRT) vehicle. The 

 LRT was a catamaran platform which could 

 submerge, hover and ascend to the surface. 

 The submersibles NEKTON ALPHA and 

 STAR II were launched and retrieved under- 

 water from the LRT as part of the test 

 program (7). Apparently impressed with the 

 potential of the LRT, the Navy proceeded to 

 construct the Launch and Recovery Plat- 

 form (LARP) in 1970 to handle MAKAKAI 

 and DEEP VIEW. LARP is essentially simi- 

 lar to the LRT, but differs in materials, air 

 transportability and an optional remote con- 

 trol feature. Subsequently, MAKAKAI and 

 the unmanned CURV III were deployed from 

 LARP and, while there were drawbacks, the 

 system demonstrated its practicality. Not a 

 great deal has been heard of LARP since 

 Estabrook and Horn's report (8) which de- 

 scribes it and events leading to its develop- 

 ment, and with the laying up of the Navy's 

 small submersibles MAKAKAI and DEEP 

 VIEW in 1973, it is assumed that nothing 

 further has occurred to improve or advance 

 this concept. 



Because of the variety of submersible con- 



594 



