Rapid deployment CCTV on Submarine Rescue Mothership

Wednesday 16th June 2010

Faslane Naval base on the West coast of Scotland is the home of the world’s most capable underwater ambulance, the Nato Submarine Rescue System (NSRS).

NSRS is constantly on the alert and ready to deploy to a suitable mothership anywhere in the world. Scottish Communications were delighted to be invited by James Young of consultancy Lochscape to submit a solution for providing CCTV coverage on the latest vessel to be that mothership. The brief was to provide CCTV that ensured that the commander of the system could view and monitor parts of the deck that could not be seen from the bridge. The system had to be rugged, portable, perform well and be built to a high specification. The typical mothership is an offshore support vessel from the oil industry that can be quickly modified into a submarine rescue vessel through the speedy transfer of the required equipment, including a mini rescue submarine mounted on the stern. The equipment is bulky and obscures vital parts of the working deck from oversight by the commander on the bridge. The solution devised by SC was a rapid deployment CCTV system that included control, digital recording and monitoring equipment, linked to three fully functional Predator cameras and a fixed camera housed in super-tough Peli cases for protection. Once operational, the commander is able to monitor activity on the deck and immediately astern of the mothership through the CCTV. Commander PC Neve of the Royal Navy commented: “This system enables detailed supervision of the most difficult aspects of launching and recovering the rescue submarine and is thereby a major contributory factor to the safe operations of NSRS.” Brian Davidson, SC Operations Director, said: “The development of this product was a classic example of the client and the developer/ installer working closely together to develop a product exceeding expectations.”