manned submersible equipped with observation 
systems, precise position systems, and digging and 
scraping tools. 
3. Salvage and Recovery 
a. Current Situation Presently there exists a 
substantial capability to locate, identify, and 
recover small objects at continental shelf depths 
and large objects in shallower water. In excep- 
tional efforts, recovery has been achieved at 
greater depths. The Navy large object salvage 
program was directed at combining surface ships, 
lift equipment, and divers to lift submarines and 
other wreckage from depths of 850 feet. Unfortu- 
nately, only limited funds have been available to 
support development in this area. 
The best salvage and recovery system depends 
on the geometric configuration, condition, prox- 
imity to the shoreline, depth, and extent of 
flooding and burial of target. A small surface vessel 
with divers and manually controlled equipment 
may suffice for small objects in clear, shallow 
waters. In other operations, it could be necessary 
to employ large, deep-diving work vehicles oper- 
ating as part of a more complex system. 
The surface vessel approach to salvage opera- 
tions is obviously limited by diver depth capabili- 
ties. Hollow structures (like airplanes or cabin 
cruisers) might be raised from shallow depths by 
filling with low-density foam (Figure 35). During 
the Sealab II Project in 205 feet of water, a foam 
formed of resin, catalyst, and methylene chloride 
delivered through hoses by a diver-held gun was 
introduced inside an airplane hulk. It displaced 
enough water to raise the hulk. 
Figure 35. Artist’s concept of a sunken air- 
craft being prepared for salvage by divers. 
(Navy photo) 
VI1-98 
Recovery of small objects from depths below 
diver capabilities has been accomplished. The 
Navy’s CURV and several commercial systems 
have recovered numerous torpedoes on test ranges. 
However, when an object is lost in an uncharted 
area of rough terrain (as off Palomares, Spain) the 
search, identification and recovery problems are 
magnified. Relief maps of the area must be 
prepared. At Palomares, they were based mostly 
on observation by television cameras mounted on 
CURV and extensive extrapolation by graphic arts 
personnel. 
Great depths—2,850 feet at the Palomares 
recovery point (Figure 36)—further complicate the 
operation. The lost weapon slipped several times 
to greater depths. Had it slipped down the next 
steep slope, recovery by the CURV would have 
been precluded by the added depth, and recovery 
by any existing system would have been doubtful. 
1) 2150 ft 
i 
Figure 36. Bottom topography off Palomares, 
Spain, site of nuclear weapon recovery. Points 
of interest are: (1) original point of weapon’s 
impact on bottom, (2) position to which it 
slid, it was first sighted, and first recovery 
attempts were made, (3) take-off point of 
CURV unmanned vehicle for first recovery 
attempt, (4) position of weapon after second 
slide, (5) final lift-off point for successful re- 
covery. (Navy photo) 
b. Future Needs Better underwater observation 
and terrain mapping equipment, power sources, 
and tools are needed for recovery operations. 
Better underwater cutting, welding, grappling, 
hooking, drilling, and methods to control lift 
