|
Ultra-Deep Vehicles
This class of vehicle is represented by those special-built ROVs with depth capabilities of 13,123 feet (4,000 meters) and beyond. These vehicles tend to be lower in power to keep umbilical sizes small and are used primarily for deep ocean research, search and salvage missions. For such missions, ultra-deep ROVs do not require much power to observe or attach a salvage line. Many of the ultra-deep systems are designed for science, such as Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's (MBARI’s) Tiburon (right). A scientist can observe life in the very deep ocean for extended periods of time with the use of the ROV.
The celebration of the depth records achieved by the US was short lived, however, as Japan stormed onto center stage with a series of excellent vehicles topped by the KAIKO. The KAIKO not only took over the record for the deepest dive, but obliterated it, reaching the deepest point on Earth in the Mariana Trench—10,911.4 meters—in 1995. A record that can be tied, but never exceeded (at least not without a shovel). Many countries have developed ROV systems for extremely deep work including Victor 6000 (IFREMER, France), ROPOS (ISE, Canada), RTM 6000 (Okeangeofizika,Russia), HIROV 3500 (Hitec Subsea AS, Norway). Other US vehicles include Magellan 725 and 825, Gemini, Magnum, and Millennium (Oceaneering Technologies International), Hammerhead (Subsea International Inc.) SuperMax (Deep Sea Systems International) and Jason/Medea (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). |
Other
ultra-deep-water systems have been developed by the military to perform
various missions including the salvage of important assets. Initially,
the US Navy had the missions that required unmanned vehicles, and accordingly,
provided the financial backing to break down some of the technological
barriers. Ultimately, through technology developed in the Navy’s R&D
centers and through cooperation with industry, Navy financed vehicles
broke the 6,096-meter barrier in 1990—not once, but twice. The first
tethered ROV to reach the depth was the CURV III vehicle. Operated
by Eastport International (now Oceaneering Technologies Inc.) for the
US Navy's Supervisor of Salvage, CURV III reached a depth of
6,128 meters. Then, less than a week later, that long sought record
was again broken by the Advanced Tethered Vehicle's (ATV’s) record dive
to 6,279 meters. The ATV, developed by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems
Center, San Diego, is now operated by the Navy’s Submarine Development
Squadron Five, Unmanned Vehicle Detachment, also in San Diego.