Photo courtesy Barqueros Ultramar, Twitter.
OCEAN INFINITY LOCATES THE MISSING ARGENTINIAN SUBMARINE, ARA SAN JUAN
Ocean Infinity, the seabed exploration company, confirms that it has found ARA San Juan, the Argentine Navy submarine which was lost on 15 November 2017.
In the early hours of 17 November, after two months of seabed search, Ocean Infinity located what has now been confirmed as the wreckage of the ARA San Juan. The submarine was found in a ravine in 920m of water, approximately 600 km east of Comodoro Rivadavia in the Atlantic Ocean.
Oliver Plunkett, Ocean Infinity’s CEO, said:
“Our thoughts are with the many families affected by this terrible tragedy. We sincerely hope that locating the resting place of the ARA San Juan will be of some comfort to them at what must be a profoundly difficult time. Furthermore, we hope our work will lead to their questions being answered and lessons learned which help to prevent anything similar from happening again.
We have received a huge amount of help from many parties who we would like to thank. We are particularly grateful to the Argentinian Navy whose constant support and encouragement was invaluable. In addition, the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, via the UK Ambassador in Buenos Aires, made a very significant contribution. Numerous others, including the US Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, have supported us with expert opinion and analysis. Finally, I would like to extend a special thank you to the whole Ocean Infinity team, especially those offshore as well as our project leaders Andy Sherrell and Nick Lambert, who have all worked tirelessly for this result.”
Ocean Infinity used five Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to carry out the search, which was conducted by a team of approximately 60 crew members on board Seabed Constructor. In addition, three officers of the Argentine Navy and four family members of the crew of the ARA San Juan joined Seabed Constructor to observe the search operation.
Ocean Infinity had committed to conduct the search operation for up to sixty days, and to take on the economic risk of the search, only receiving payment if the submarine was found.
Ocean Infinity’s permanently mobilised ocean search capability is the most technologically advanced in the world. Their AUV’s are capable of operating in water depths from 5 meters to 6,000 meters and covering vast areas of the seabed at unparalleled speed. The AUVs are not tethered to their host vessel during operations, allowing them to go deeper and collect higher quality data for the search. They are equipped with a variety of tools including side scan sonar, a multi-beam echo-sounder HD camera, and synthetic aperture sonar. In addition, from the host vessel, Ocean Infinity is able to deploy two work class ROVs and heavy lifting equipment capable of retrieving objects weighing up to 45T from 6000m.
U.S. Adjusts Support to ARA San Juan Search Operations
Dec. 27, 2017
MISSING SUBMARINE ARA SAN JUAN: CTBTO DATA SUGGESTS EXPLOSION MAY HAVE OCCURRED
The United States will begin to draw down operations assisting the search for the Argentine submarine A.R.A. San Juan in the South Atlantic, after completing its support to requests by the government of Argentina.
The United States actively joined the Argentina-led international search efforts within 24 hours of learning of the missing submarine on November 17. At its height, U.S. contributions to the search and rescue effort included three advanced aircraft, over 200 search and rescue personnel, four submersibles, one specialized underwater rescue unit, one ship, and more than 400 sonar buoys dropped in support of the operation. Additionally, the United States provided the most advanced sonar system in the world, which was mounted on Argentine search vessels. U.S. planning and analytical specialists supported the efforts through data analysis; an effort that will continue.
ATLANTIC OCEAN, 12.15.2017
The R/V Atlantis, a U.S. Navy owned research vessel, deploys the cable-controlled Undersea Recovery Vehicle (CURV-21) during night operations. The CURV is designed to meet the U.S. Navy’s deep ocean recovery requirements down to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet, and is being used to support the Argentine Navy’s search for the ARA San Juan (S-42) (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Alex Cornell du Houx/Released)
Photo By Staff Sgt. Nicole Leidholm | A U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft from the 22nd Airlift Squadron lands as a C-17 Globemaster III takes off at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Nov. 18, 2017. The aircraft delivered equipment and personnel to Argentina to aid in the search for the Argentina Navy submarine A.R.A San Juan. Air Mobility Command aircraft are delivering equipment and expertise to assist a partner nation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nicole Leidholm)
The U.S. support team completed all searches in areas assigned by the Argentine Navy, sweeping each area twice with advanced sensors. Despite their best efforts on behalf of the Argentine people and the families of the missing sailors, this international effort has yet to locate the ARA San Juan.
“On behalf of the people of the United States, we offer our respects to the families of the crew of A.R.A. San Juan and the people of Argentina,” said Rear Adm. Daniel B. Abel, director of operations, US Southern Command.
The armed forces of the United States and Argentina enjoy very close ties and a longstanding partnership. They routinely work collaboratively in support of bilateral and multinational security.
20 de diciembre al atardecer, Cadetes de la Academia Naval Imperial en Nagasaki (Japón) echaron al mar 44 linternas en homenaje a los tripulantes del ARA San Juan…
El texto en las linternad dice: ” Valientes tripulantes del ARA San Juan, descanden en paz” pic.twitter.com/UCAGYNaB6a— ⚓ B@rqueros Ultr@m@r (@UltraBarqueros) December 23, 2017
Translation: December 20 at dusk, cadets of the Imperial Naval Academy in Nagasaki (Japan) cast to sea 44 lanterns in tribute to the crew members of the ARA San Juan… The text says: “brave crew of ARA San Juan, rest in peace”
