Scorpio ROV
The Scorpio [Submersible Craft for Ocean Repair, Position, Inspection and Observation] is a brand of underwater submersible remotely operated Deep Submergence Vehicle manufactured by Perry Tritech used by subsea industries such as the oil industry for general operations, and also by the United States Navy and Royal Navy for submarine rescue services. It was originally developed by AMETEK Straza of El Cajon, United States, and subsequently by Perry Tritech. Although the design of the original Scorpio is over several decades old, it forms the basis for a current generation of Scorpio branded ROVs. Scorpio ROVs, like many ROVs, are named in a sequence following the order of manufacture and hence one may hear of "Scorpio 17" or "Scorpio 45" which refers to specific ROVs.
Scorpio 45
The UK operates a Scorpio 45, which is based at the UK’s Submarine Rescue Service headquarters in Renfrew near Glasgow. It carries three remote cameras, two manipulator arms (including cutting equipment) and two sonar devices, as well as six 250-W lights. The British vehicle is operated by James Fisher Rumic Ltd, who provide the rescue service to the UK MoD who own the vehicle. The vehicle is deployed along with a control room which is within a standard shipping container.
Specifications
- Length: 2.75 metres
- Height: 1.8 meters
- Width: 1.8 meters
- Weight: 1,400 kg
- Payload: up to 100 kg (without additional buoyancy)
- Maximum depth: 914 m (in sea water)
- Maximum speed: 4 knots (7 km/h) forward, 3.25 knots astern, 2.5 knots (4.6 km/h) laterally
Super Scorpio
Delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1987, the Super Scorpio is a “Tethered Unmanned Work Vehicle System”. The vehicles are used for the recovery of sunken military and commercial hardware. They feature two cameras, a sonar, six lights and two robotic arms. The arms can cut steel cable up to one inch (2.5 cm) thick and lift up to 250 pounds (113 kg) each. The sonar has a range of 2,000 feet (610 m).
Specifications
- Length: 2.43 meters
- Height: 1.22 meters
- Width: 1.22 meters
- Weight: 2,040 kg
- Maximum depth: 1,520 meters
- Maximum speed: 4 knots (7 km/h) forward/astern, 2 knots (4 km/h) laterally
Kursk rescue attempt
Scorpio vehicles were sent to assist in the rescue of the Kursk, a Russian Oscar II class submarine which sank on 12 August 2000. Unfortunately, they were unable to save any of the 118 crew.
Priz (AS-28) submersible rescue
Both the UK and U.S. sent Scorpio vehicles to the location of a Russian Priz class submersible AS-28 trapped on the sea floor off the Kamchatka Peninsula on 5 August 2005.
The UK vehicle flew on a C-17 to the incident with a team of 28 including police officers, civilian operators and only one member of the Royal Navy, Commander Ian Riches. Two U.S. vehicles and 40 support personnel were sent from Naval Air Station North Island, near San Diego, via C-5 Galaxy transport to Kamchatka. The UK and U.S. equipment and teams were being transported by Russian surface ships to the scene. The British Scorpio managed to free the trapped AS-28 on August 7, 2005, allowing the Russian submersible to surface and saving all seven crew members onboard. The American ROVs arrived only two hours after the British crew and deciding instead to aid the British crew rather than unload their ROV.