• Defence

Central role for JFD in ‘Dynamic Monarch 17'

JFD has played a key role in a recent high profile NATO submarine testing exercise.

Every three years, NATO gathers member countries together for a massive defence training exercise called ‘Dynamic Monarch’ and this year, JFD, which manages and maintains the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS)  played a prestigious central role at the event.

Dynamic Monarch 17 took place in September in waters off the coast of Southwestern Turkey. This, one of the largest submarine rescue exercises in the world, is designed to test the interoperability of international forces, and their ability to respond to distressed submarines. The operation demonstrates the capability of multi-national submarine rescue co-operation and facilitates the sharing of knowledge and expertise throughout the submarine rescue community.

For 10 days numerous rescue and intervention exercises took place utilising rescue vehicles and chambers, remote operated vehicles, atmospheric diving suits and divers – including a highly complex 48-hour co-ordinated mass evacuation exercise. This provided JFD with the first opportunity to demonstrate its full NSRS capability.

Rob Pickering, JFD NSRS project manager says:

‘This exercise has given JFD the opportunity to demonstrate NSRS’s world class capability. Its success enabled our highly trained teams to reassure participant nations of the system’s capabilities in a real emergency.’

 ‘Everything JFD was tasked with completing operationally was done successfully. Everyone on the JFD performed to the highest standards - as expected, working together as a team to help ensure Dynamic Monarch 2017 went well.’

For the exercise, NSRS was mobilised in Glasgow and sailed to Turkey to be used in the simulated submarine rescue operations. These included transfer under pressure operations and demonstrations of submarine rescue vehicles ‘mating’ with a variety of submarines.

In addition to demonstrating the full NSRS capability, the JFD teams were asked to provide training where needed to both JFD operational personnel (on each element of the system) as well as to NSRS partner nation personnel in areas such as rescue chamber operations and medical support functions.

These exercises aim to provide a platform for knowledge sharing among worldwide NATO partners. Teams from Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the USA took part and the event was also observed by representatives from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan and South Korea.  

Although JFD has been an integral part of the UK’s submarine rescue provision since 1985, and has been at the heart of NSRS since it came into service in 2008, JFD reclaimed the prestigious and internationally respected NATO submarine rescue contract in 2015. It now tasked with maintaining NSRS in a permanent state of rescue readiness for the NATO partner nations of France, Norway and the UK, to go anywhere in the world at any time.

After the exercise, the NSRS was returned to Scotland for restoration works to ensure the system’s ‘rescue ready’ status.

‘The JFD teams have undertaken several successful NSRS rescue exercises like this in the last two years and have shown continued commitment, recognising JFD’s responsibility to assure its operations team is fully trained in all aspects of a safe rescue.’

Added Rob.

As one of the world’s leading submarine rescue and diving equipment companies JFD provides complex diving and underwater systems to the commercial and defence industries. It is a leading worldwide provider of submarine rescue and an established provider of submarine escape training. 

DID YOU KNOW?

The JFD team has also recently returned from this year’s Black Carillon submarine rescue exercise with the Royal Australian Navy, demonstrating expertise in safely mobilising and operations.

NSRS on route	Submarine rescue exercise