Appendix A. Survey of Federal Agencies 
INTRODUCTION 
In development of the ICMSE study requested on 
May 11, 1972, a survey was made to determine the 
extent to which Federal agencies had programs that 
required manned undersea platforms and to which 
the platforms were actually being used. The survey 
pertained to existing and planned programs for 
manned undersea platforms, not to what would be 
done if facilities were made available at no cost. 
Thus, the approach identified currently funded pro- 
grams and those that could be expected to increase 
the utilization rates of platforms, while avoiding 
those that may not be supported. As noted earlier, 
approximately half of the 1,603 dives recommended 
to the Carroll Committee (which asked what would 
be done if facilities were provided) were not en- 
dorsed by that Committee. 
SURVEY METHOD AND QUESTIONNAIRE 
The questionnaire sent to the participating Federal 
agencies is shown on page 32. It emphasizes both 
the identification of programs and the specific ca- 
pabilities required of platforms for use in the pro- 
gram. Respondents were contacted by telephone to 
obtain additional data when required in order to pre- 
vent misinterpretation and to provide platforms ca- 
pability data to respondents not sufficiently familiar 
with some platforms. The questionnaire concentrated 
on existing and planned programs rather than specific 
operations which would or could be undertaken if 
facilities were provided. There were three reasons — 
for this: First, it avoids suggesting many ideas which 
an offerer of platforms is not capable of or willing 
to support with funding; second, it identified poten- 
tial platform utilization; and lastly, it provides for 
reporting programs which may not have reached the 
stage of detailed field operations planning. A major 
problem noted was that the level of reporting did not 
provide details to permit a good matching of exist- 
ing platforms to program operations. This can be 
adequately corrected in the future based on the 
experience of this effort. 
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PROGRAMS REPORTED AND FINDINGS 
Ten of the 12 member agencies of ICMSE re- 
sponded with identification of programs that involve 
manned undersea activities (State and NASA had 
no requirements). Approximately 60% of the re- 
sponses were on the questionnaire; however, there 
were some problems with the degree of completeness 
and specificity. Thus, in several cases, it was neces- 
sary to estimate the extent of platform utilization 
implied by the program. 
Forty-six programs were identified from all 
sources. Of these, 13 were from the Navy and 33 
from the nine other responding Federal agencies. 
The 46 programs are listed on page 33 and described 
in appendix B. 
The Navy’s programs requiring manned undersea 
platforms are generally satisfied by Navy-owned fa- 
cilities. The Navy rarely leases civilian-owned and 
-operated platforms and has not since 1970. The 
Navy was responsible for developing ALVIN and 
supporting it at the Woods Hole Oceanographic In- 
stitution, but is phasing out that support. In the 
future, support for ALVIN must come from other 
sources. 
Of the 33 programs reported by the eight civil 
agencies and the Corps of Engineers, five programs 
spend for facilities and eight others can if proposals 
are received. However, except for the NOAA/ 
MUS&T program there is no specific allocation of 
funds for leasing identified. Except for two of the 
remaining 20 programs, there is a good potential for 
the regular use of manned undersea platforms, the 
actual use depending on a number of factors. A 
major impediment to the more extensive use of plat- 
forms in these programs is the intermittent, short- 
duration requirements for utilization. One or 2 days 
may be needed, perhaps five or six times per year. 
Coupled with the dispersal of geographic areas, the 
costs for use of the platforms becomes extremely 
large in proportion to the total program. Thus, the 
single uncoordinated use of a platform for a pro- 
gram is unattractive. At the same time, the large data 
acquisition capability of a platform can support not 
