if the object is more than 150 lbs, the vehicle will swim to the surface 

 with the target in the claw. If the object is more than 150 lbs, vehicle 

 ascent will be aided by pull on the nylon support line. If the target is more 

 than 500 lbs, the claw will be ejected and recovery of the target and claw 

 made from the surface by a winch using a separate line previously attached 

 to the claw. 



OTHER OPERATIONS 



While CURV systems have been used primarily for ordnance recovery, 

 many other types of operations have been performed that illustrate the po- 

 tential that exists for CURV systems to attain the goal of performing many 

 types of useful underwater work at 20,000 feet. Other operations have in- 

 cluded bottom surveys, biological and bottom sampling, undei'water instal- 

 lation inspections, monitoring of bottom coring and drilling operations, 

 and small area searches. CURV n and CURV III are expected to add other 

 capabilities in the near future, including in-situ oceanographic measure- 

 ments, bottom mapping, and bottom coring operations. 



CURV GOALS 



The goal of the CURV program system development has always been 

 twofold: (1) to conduct CURV operations at 20,000 feet, and (2) to advance 

 imderwater work technology as much as possible in the achievement of that 

 20,000-foot capability. 



The immediate goals of the CURV program are to continue to operate 

 CURV II to develop CURV capabilities, to demonstrate a CURV III recovery 

 capability in December 1969^ and to have CURV HI fully operational by 

 July 1970. The next step is the development of a CURV system for 20,000- 

 foot depths, to be known as CURV IV, which will be based on CURV III. 



TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO 20,000-FOOT OPERATIONS 



At this point in CURV systems development, the technical barriers to 

 extending the CURV capability to 20,000 feet can not be precisely defined 

 vmtil CURV ni is operational, some operational experience has been 

 acquired, any new problems isolated, and a firm CURV IV concept gener- 

 ated. Some of the major problems, however, have been determined in the 

 course of CURV development because of the ultimate goal of 20,000-foot 

 operations. Many CURV in components are already designed to operate at 



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