Although both vehicles can be used for search 
purposes, the DSSV has no undersea rescue capa- 
bility, and the DSRV capability is limited to 
submarines modified for the purpose. On April 26, 
1968, Hon. Paul Ignatius, Secretary of the Navy, 
in an address to the National Convention of the 
Navy League, Honolulu, made the following an- 
nouncement concerning utilization of the DSRV 
by non-U.S. Navy groups: 
I am pleased to announce at this time that the 
United States is willing to share with other 
nations the obvious benefits provided by the 
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle. A document 
has been prepared giving details and technical 
specifications of this submarine rescue system 
which will be available to foreign navies on request 
through normal diplomatic channels. Nations in- 
terested in this rescue system can modify their 
submarines so that in the event one becomes 
disabled on the ocean floor, it can be mated with 
the U.S. rescue vehicle. This is another example of 
this country’s willingness to cooperate in oceanic 
programs. 
The DSRV mates to the escape hatch of the 
submarine, and rescue is accomplished by direct 
transfer of personnel from the stricken submarine 
to the rescue vehicle (Figure 34). The DSRV, 
DSSV, and numerous other small submersibles 
Figure 34. Artist’s concept of the DSRV. 
(Navy photo) 
333-091 O-69—11 
have manipulators that could be used to a limited 
extent to free entangled vehicles. 
The Coast Guard has the major responsibility 
for search and rescue at sea. It has joined with 
industry to develop expertise and tools necessary 
for effective search and rescue. A Mutual Assist- 
ance Rescue and Salvage Plan (MARSAP), now 
being formulated, will provide the Coast Guard 
with a limited, interim capability for undersea 
rescue. 
The search phase of at-sea operations depends 
on the search rate and the search party’s naviga- 
tional accuracy. With aircraft and airborne radar 
the rate for surface search can be quite high, 
perhaps 4,000 square miles per hour. Underwater 
search, however, undertaken by surface ships 
towing sensors or by submersibles, is extremely 
slow—about 0.1 square mile per hour—as indicated 
by the Scorpion search. 
This underlines the major reason for the high 
cost of underwater search—the search rate. Better 
surveillance of surface and underwater traffic can 
improve locational accuracy, thereby decreasing 
the time and expense of search operations. 
b. Future Needs The Coast Guard, working 
closely with the Navy, should be given responsi- 
bility for search and rescue operations in the 
undersea frontier. It should work closely with 
safety and certification experts in industry to 
establish standards to minimize undersea acci- 
dents. When determined practical by the Coast 
Guard, safety and rescue apparatus (such as 
tracking pingers, lifting eyes, and standard mating 
hatches) should be required on undersea systems. 
As the number of undersea vehicles and installa- 
tions grows, control over vehicle movement will 
become necessary, especially in congested or re- 
stricted areas. 
Divers and submersibles will be called on to 
perform a variety of search, location, and identifi- 
cation tasks. These will be an essential part of 
most salvage and rescue operations unless a target’s 
position is precisely known and the area is not 
susceptible to ocean currents or sediment trans- 
port. Reliable, high-resolution sensors to locate 
small objects resting on cluttered bottoms or in 
sediment will be necessary. 
Identification is a real problem. Visual observa- 
tion is the most reliable technique, yet is slow and 
difficult without a maneuverable high endurance, 
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