Overview

JFD successfully delivered the integration of the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) with the Swedish Navy’s submarine rescue mothership, HMSwS Belos, under contract with FMV, the Swedish military procurement organisation. The project involved adapting Belos to support horizontal hyperbaric transfer via a custom elbow connector, enabling up to 12 personnel per rescue cycle to be safely transferred from the Submarine Rescue Vehicle (SRV) into the onboard saturation system.

This capability significantly enhanced Sweden’s interoperability with NATO partners and increased its readiness to respond to international submarine rescue missions.

Challenge

The NSRS needed to operate seamlessly from HMSwS Belos—a vessel with existing hardware constraints. The solution had to bridge significant mechanical and structural mismatches while being safe to use in higher sea states, containerised for rapid deployment, and compliant with both NATO and classification society standards.

Solution

JFD designed and manufactured a suite of hardware and adapters, including:

• Hyperbaric “elbow” adapter enabling horizontal transfer of up to 12 rescuees per cycle
• Bespoke SRV lift point and A-frame adapter
• Deck trolley adapters
• Containerised, air-transportable system mobilisable within 4 hours using the vessel’s cranes
• Specially engineered elbow to manage misalignment and avoid SRV overloading in rough conditions
• Dual certified by Lloyd’s Register and DNV-GL, with approval from NSRS stakeholders (UK, France, Norway)

JFD also delivered Special-to-Type Test Equipment to validate all equipment changes, along with the required Safety Case and Logistics documentation.

Value to Customer

• Seamless NSRS-Belos interoperability
• Hyperbaric transfer at sea with 12-person rescue cycle
• Rapid mobilisability within 4 hours
• Fully certified solution meeting NATO partner and classification society standards
• Improved global readiness for multinational submarine rescue missions