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Navy Rescue Sub In Test Dive To 3,500 Ft. Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., developer of the Navy's Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV-1), announced that the world's first rescue submarine had successfully completed a deep dive to her design depth with a two-hour journey to 3,500 feet. The dive brings DSRV a big step closer to the day when she will be ready to go anywhere in the world on brief notice to begin rescue oper- ations for crewmen trapped in a submarine stranded on the ocean floor. At the controls of DSRV for the deep dive were Lockheed test pilot Richard Ross and Lt. Comdr. Pat Raetzman, skipper of the subma- rine. Both reported the dive, which took place 15 miles off San Diego, had gone well. "We're both happy with the way she's been handling on these test dives," said Commander Raetzman. "Response to controls is immediate, and the maneuverability is excel- lent. It's a good boat." Accompanying pilot Ross and Commander Raetzman were Lock- heed chief pilot Larry A. Shumak- er, supervising pilot on the dive, and John Purcell, Navy certifica- tion officer. With the dive com- pleted, the Navy can now certify the 50-foot DSRV for an operating depth of 3,500 feet. The DSRV is the central ele- ment in a rescue system designed for worldwide quick response to submarine disasters. In addition to the rescue sub, a road vehicle de- signed especially to carry the sub, the DSRV crew, and assorted sup- port gear can all be rushed any- where in the world aboard three C-141 jet transports. In a rescue emergency, the three aircraft would land at an airfield near a seaport close to the accident site. The DSRV and support equip- ment would move by highway to the harbor, where the rescue sub would be transferred to the aft deck of a nuclear attack submarine for the trip to the accident site. The attack sub will be able to carry the DSRV submerged at a speed of 15 knots. DSRV has been designed to mate with a stricken submarine at any angle up to 45 degrees. The ocean floor has plains, valleys and mountains much like those on land, so any stranded submarine could easily be lying at a severe angle. DSRV's operators control the boat through a computer-driven Integrated Control and Display (ICAD) system not unlike the sys- tem used on the Apollo spacecraft. Developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ICAD gives DSRV operators finger-tip control over main propulsion, ver- tical and horizontal thrusters, plus sonars, lights and TV cameras. "We have to mate with a downed sub with a margin of error of less than a few inches," said Command- er Raetzman. "With ICAD we'll be able to do that even though the stricken vessel is lying at a 45- degree angle in dirty water and in a strong current." Commander Raetzman explained that besides ICAD, much of the success of DSRV is due to the many new materials and com- ponents which were developed for the program. The HY-140 steel used in the pressure hull was only a laboratory development prior to its use on DSRV. The stream- lined fiberglass outer hull contains the largest pieces of bubble-free fiberglass ever manufactured. The pressure hull is formed of three interconnecting spheres. The forward sphere holds the two op- erators, while the mid and aft spheres contain a third DSRV crewman and up to 24 rescuees. The transfer skirt, which must be sealed over the downed sub's es- cape hatch, is attached directly be- low the mid pressure hull sphere. Commander Raetzman said DSRV will begin mafing tests off San Clemente Island in a few weeks. At San Clemente, DSRV will mate with an adjustable test rig which will simulate a stranded submarine. DSRV-1 was launched at the Lockheed Ocean Laboratory in San Diego on January 24, 1970. 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