535 
Tinro-II, constructed in 1973, is another fisheries research submersi- 
ble with a depth capability extending down to about 400 meters. 
The two-man submersible has undergone considerable testing and 
development during 1974 and 1975 and is now presumably opera- 
tional. It is presently the only major submersible operating in the 
Soviet Pacific maritime area.”*6 
The most recently constructed Soviet manned submersible is the 
OSA-3-600. This saucer-shaped vehicle carries a pilot, engineer, and 
observer. It is equipped with a periscope, two view ports, and three 
television cameras. Its mission duration is 8 hours with a total life- 
support potential of 72 hours down to depths of 600 meters. Manipula- 
tors on the vehicle can retrieve small, fragile objects or heavier sam- 
ples weighing up to 20 kilograms. OSA is designed to operate like 
an underwater helicopter. Precise maneuvering capabilities are at- 
tributed to Voith-Schneider propulsion units, an automatic control 
system, and an attitude control system. The propulsion units reportedly 
prevent snagging of the propellers on lines or other underwater 
hazards. Many emergency supply and backup systems have been incor- 
porated into the vehicle. The missions for OSA include fisheries, 
reconnaissance, oil industry support, and geological sampling. A 
second variant of OSA is also being developed.?*”9 
For several years, the Soviet Union has attempted unsuccessfully 
to purchase manned submersibles with associated sophisticated sensor 
and control equipment from the United States, Canada, and other 
Western countries. In 1975, the Institute of Oceanography of the 
U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences finally negotiated the purchase of a 
Canadian submersible, Pisces (probably Pisces-5). Two additional 
Pisces vehicles are believed to be on order. These vehicles will sub- 
stantially enhance the undersea research capabilities of the Institute, 
inasmuch as it has never owned manned vehicles.*° 
In addition to submersibles, the Soviet Union has also taken ad- 
vantage of obsolete diesel military submarines for fisheries and oceano- 
graphic research. The first of these was Severyanka which was trans- 
ferred to the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fish- 
eries and Oceanography (VNIRO) in 1957 and became operational 
in 1958. Severyanka made 10 cruises before being decommissioned 
in 1967. The submarine was made for the development of fisheries- 
related equipment and fisheries surveys.*! 
In mid-1970, it was reported that the Vega, another converted 
military submarine had been used for hydrographic research in the 
Pacific Ocean. The submarine made a 249-day cruise which covered 
more than 31,000 nautical miles. During the cruise, continuous 
23 Fadeyev, Ye. Track in the depths of the sea. Pravda (U.S.S.R.), Feb. 27, 1974, p. 6. 
24 Unsigned. Ocean Science News. Nov. 8, 1974, 3-4. 
25 Unsigned. Ocean Science News. Jan. 17, 1975, p. 4. 
26 Neretin, Vi et al. Underwater vehicles. Sudostroyeniye (U.S.S.R.), No. 7, 1975, 32-33. (JPRS 
360, Nov. 7, 1975.) 
27 Panyukhno, Ye. et al. OSA—an underwater scout. Vodnyy Transport (U.S.S.R.), Aug. 9, 1975, 
p. 4 (IN: Sov. R. & D., Informatics Inc., vol. 1, No. 8, 1975, p. 2). 
28 Panyukhno, Ye. OSA departs for the deep. Vodnyy Transport (U.S.S.R.), Nov. 7, 1975, p. 4 (IN: 
Sov. R. & D., Informatics Inc., vol. 1, No. 10, 1975, p. 5). 
2° Unsigned. OSA prepares for underwater flight. (Pravda (U.S.S.R.), Apr. 5, 1975, p. 3. 
30 Fadeyev, Ye. Rivals of neptune. Pravda (U.S.S.R.), Oct. 10, 1975, p. 6. 
31 Boylan, L. Underwater Activities in the Soviet Union. Op. cit. 
