For Immediate Release – March 6, 2019:

The Commonwealth of Australia Department of Defence has awarded Phoenix International (Australia) Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix International Holdings, Inc., a contract for a Submarine Rescue Service (SRS) to include the acquisition and support of the SEA1354 Ph 1 Submarine Escape, Rescue, and Abandonment System (SERAS).

The SRS will be delivered on a four-year acquisition schedule, and the contract includes:

• Design and construction of a Submarine Rescue Facility (SRF) for; training of rescue personnel and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) submariners, storage of all submarine escape and rescue equipment, and mobilisation of the Phoenix Australia team and equipment in the event of a disabled submarine (DISSUB) casualty. The SRF will be constructed at the Australian Maritime Complex in Henderson, WA by Civmec.
• Design and fabrication of a 600m capable Remotely Operated Rescue Vehicle (RORV); the design will be a joint effort amongst Phoenix Australia in Henderson, WA; Phoenix International in Largo, Maryland, USA; and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, USA; fabrication and outfitting of the RORV will primarily take place in WA at the SRF.
• Design and fabrication of a shallow water Submarine Rescue Bell (SRB); like the RORV the design will be a joint effort by Phoenix Australia, Phoenix International, and SwRI with outfitting of the vehicle in WA at the SRF.
• Design and fabrication of a robust Launch and Recovery System (LARS), which will launch and recover both the RORV and SRB and will fit on a variety of ships to support a rapid response to a disabled submarine casualty; Melbourne based Thrust Maritime Pty, Ltd will design and fabricate the LARS. Thrust will also design and fabricate the Ship Interface Template System (SITS), which will permit the entire rescue and intervention complex to be installed on a wide variety of ships.
• Design and fabrication of complete Transfer Under Pressure (TUP)/ hyperbaric suite for decompression of rescued submariners; Sydney-based HI Fraser and their subcontractor, the Italian company Drass, will design and fabricate this system in Livorno, Italy, at the HI Fraser facility in WA, and at the SRF.
• Design and fabrication of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) by Total Marine Technology (TMT) in Bibra Lake, WA. TMT will also apply their design expertise to the control systems for the RORV and SRB.

Phoenix Australia expects to engage the expertise of additional Australian companies, especially in WA, as the acquisition program progresses.  Ian Milliner, Program Director for Phoenix Australia, said, “In excess of 80% of the acquisition phase of the contract will be carried out by Australian companies, demonstrating existing and further expanding Australia’s engineering and industrial capabilities.”