SMER Working Group 2009

The Submarine Escape and Rescue Working Group (SMERWG) met in Cape Town, South Africa, from 25th to 29th of May 2009. The group's focus is global submarine rescue cooperation. This annual meeting has once again brought together 24 nations from around the world operating submarines with the same eager concern in safety for their crewmen. Welcomed by the South African Chief of Naval Operations, the 95 delegates listened with pleasure and interest his speech about safety and submarines.

SMERWG in South Africa The week has allowed submariners from the six continents to build on the cooperative experiences and exercises. Building new procedures and providing overview of new rescue equipment. This year new rescue systems will be delivered to China and Singapore. The gathering and sharing of exercise experiences and material enables every nation to participate and improve its ability to save lives in the unforgiving deep ocean environment.

BOLD MINOTAUR 09

NATO instigated a Submarine Escape and Rescue Exercise, know as Exercise BOLD MINOTAUR, Tuesday 5 May when a UK fictitious submarine 'HMS TALISMAN' failed to report in to COMSUBNORTH, the NATO Northern region SUBOPAUTH. In the unlikely event of such a submarine incident, a worldwide coordination effort occurs. This effort is coordinated using the NATO sponsored, funded and manned International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO), out of Allied Submarine Command (ASC), Norfolk, Virginia. Through this website www.ismerlo.org, nations can offer assistance and the Submarine Rescue Authority (SSRA) can chose and coordinate the suitable assets to assist. BOLD MINOTAUR was conducted off the UK south coast and the SSRA used the UK Submarine Parachute Assistance Group (SPAG), with 6 Italians embedded, to parachute from a C-130 onto the datum and offer assistance to the 'survivors'. A UK support vessel, MV SALMOOR acted as safety vessel and a UK Frigate, HMS ARGYLL was despatched with Escape First Reaction Stores, including medical staff, to recover the survivors and offer further medical attention.


SPAG from the sky...	To the sea...
To rescue submariners.