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Heavy beads of sweat broke out on the submarine commander’s brow. The foment to decide had arrived. After a five-day cat-and-mouse chase, during which he and his crew had fought and eluded enemy antisubmarine warfare fiigates, it was evident that the damage to the boat had been worse than first estimated. At least the crew was now safe in allied waters and the sea bed was not as deep as the boat’s crush depth, but exactly where the submarine would settle Was not yet clear. The commander was somewhat reassured by the knowledge that the crew was fully trained in submarine escape and survival techniques.
To the members of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) submarine fleet, the above scenario could easily become a brightening reality. So real, in fact, that °n 22 April 1988, Australia’s defense minister, the Honourable Mr. Kim Beaz- ley MP, officially opened the 17.5-mil- 1'on-dollar Submarine Escape Training facility (SETF), which is the only one of
kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The SETF is situated at HMAS Sterling on Garden Island, just off the coast of Rock- lngham in Western Australia. It is intended to have an operational life of 40 years, after which it will be expanded or Modified as needed to meet long-term KAN training requirements. With its °Pening, the submarine escape training fhat had been conducted at HMS Dolphin ln Gosport, England, ceased, but a liai- s°n in training techniques will be main-
'ained.
The need for a SETF became clear in the 1970s, and in 1983, a Royal Navy [fan officer, Lieutenant-Commander frurnmond-Russcl!, began detailed staff- teg- A parliamentary works committee aPproved payment for the project in August 1985, and construction bids were requested in November of the same year. Ministerial approval was granted in February 1986, and the contract went to Sabemo-Transfield Joint Venture.
Overseas training in how to operate the 'tew equipment was undertaken by the teitial instructor staff for three months in 'be United Kingdom and in the Federal German Republic. Not all of the staff are submariners, and there is no requirement 'bat they be divers. The only prerequisite '°r the instructors’ billets is that they be v°lunteers, because of the unique nature °b the training and the work. Training support and documentation are coordi- "ated through the RAN Training Technology Unit, in Sydney.
Proceedings / March 1990
Some of the SETF characteristics are:
- The main water column is 20 meters deep and 5.5 meters in diameter; it contains 475,000 liters of fresh water, heated to 34 degrees Celsius by 216 solar panels that are adjacent to the building.
- There are two six-person/2 compartment decompression chambers at the tank top and ground floor.
- At the nine-meter level from the tank top, a diving lock on the outside of the water column is large enough to accommodate 14 persons wearing inflated lifejackets. The lock is accessed through a pressure-tight inward-opening door.
- Two blisters (one-person air locks), are located at the 5-meter and 15-meter levels from the tank top; access can be gained only from the inside of the main water column.
- There is a diving bell that can accommodate three people and give an allround view. The bell, suspended from a mezzanine floor above the water column, is raised and lowered by a hydraulic winch and features dual control; it can be operated by the person inside the bell as well as from the control officer’s console. It has a maximum speed through the main water column of two meters per second.
Underwater television, monitoring, and communication systems enable the instructors to observe trainees as they carry out their ascents. The technical equipment that supports the facility includes air systems, water transfer pumps, underground water storage, drain tanks, high pressure air bottles, water-circulation pumps, water filter units, chemical water treatment units, high pressure and low pressure air emergency reducing stations, and water heaters.
When trainees join the submarine arm, they are required to take courses at the RAN Submarine School, HMAS Platypus, in Sydney, New South Wales, before specializing. Upon completing their specialization classes, they must qualify in submarine escape at the SETF before they go to sea.
The SETF is responsible for:
- Initial submarine escape training—a four-day course for all personnel undergoing submarine training prior to proceeding to sea
- Requalification submarine escape training—a two-day refresher course, every three years, for all qualified submarine personnel up to age 35
The cycle for each submarine escape trainee lasts eight to ten minutes. Each ascent is completed before another is
By Bill McBride, Royal Australian Navy commenced, which means that only one trainee is in the water at a time. Each class consists of a maximum of 24 trainees; two sections of 12. A two-hour training period is required for each trainee to ascend twice.
Possible secondary uses for the facility include:
- Diving training for clearance and ship’s divers
- Specialist diving training for other service personnel, such as Special Air Service, Army Reserve, Commando diving, and aircrew escape training
- Diving experiments utilizing a con- trolled-water environment, in which areas such as video recording and monitoring could be used by the Navy or private enterprise.
The SETF staff consists of 3 officers, 11 senior sailors, and 5 junior sailors. Their tasks include tank control, surface swimming to catch trainees as they approach the top, swimming to meet trainees halfway up, and monitoring them as they come out of the simulated submarine tower at the bottom of the tank.
During their first day at the SETF, trainees must complete two 9-meter ascents and one 20-meter ascent in the morning, and attend lectures, films, and demonstrations in the afternoon. The course is currently planned by the Training Technology Unit in Sydney, and the training sequence is not expected to change significantly. The two decompression chambers at the tank’s bottom and top are always on operational standby when training is in progress. A 20-minute interval is required to ensure that trainees rest sufficiently between periods under pressure, and to allow time for monitoring their physical state.
The motto is Safety in Depth; all training is conducted in accordance with the RAN diving manual for pressure times, and no breathing apparatus is worn. Ascents are accomplished on a lungful of air. Qualifying time for an instructor is four to six months, and for an assistant instructor, three to four months. There is a half-day course for submariners every six months, and a one-day dry course for civilians involved with the planned Type- 471 construction submarine.
Though SETF graduates hope never to put their training to the test, their knowledge of survival techniques makes them more confident and dedicated.
Bill McBride is a RAN photographer.
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