The question of salvage
Deep down in the depths
This article covers a little-known aspect of auxiliary naval operations but still a crucial element that is taking place following the downing of an USAF MQ-9 drone on the morning of 14 March 2023, off the Crimean coast. A Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted several times and subsequently the USAF MQ-9 Reaper nose dived into the sea, about 60km off the coast.
Writing about salvage operations probably isn’t the most interesting topic these days, however it is an integral part of naval activities. Naval salvage is largely unknown and only gets briefly reported in the media, usually as a footnote to incidents and accidents. Yet, as the U.S. Navy and UK navy know too well, salvaging sensitive equipment is of paramount importance, with recent experience of having to salvage from the depths of the Mediterranean and the South China Sea, (crashed F-35 wreck that took five weeks to recover the airframe).
The aim is not to leave behind any bit of equipment that could be potentially useful intelligence to another military, as well as as assist in the investigation of the accident. There will be several phases to consider:
1. Securing of the approximate site;
2. Location and seabed surveying of wreck site;
3. Close-up visual inspection and assessment of condition;
4. Retrieval of sunken equipment.
In all likelihood, the process will be the same for retrieving the wreckage of the MQ-9. Given that the U.S. do not have resources in the Black Sea to quickly carry out a salvage of the wreckage, the U.S. isn't readily able to retrieve the parts from the seabed. Russian Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev said Russia has the technical capability to recover debris from the MQ-9 Reaper drone from the seabed. “It has to be done. And we will certainly work on it.”
The Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet has a range of vessels that can directly participate in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, survey and salvage operations. Most of which are auxiliary ships and have a dive support or seabed search capabilities of varying specifications.
For the initial phase, the surveying phase, the Black Sea Fleet has at its disposal several hydrographic and scientific ships that can carry out initial and detailed survey work of the area, (Epron, Seliger, or the Project 862/II Yug-class Hydrographic vessel ‘Donuzlav’ for example). There are other smaller hydrographic vessels, (Moma or Finik class) in the fleet that can also survey the site.
Conversly, for the final lifting phase, the Black Sea Fleet has ships with heavy lifting capacity, such as the:
- Large mooring/buoy tender/rescue ship Project 141,
- Kashtan Class, KIL-158 with its 100-ton heavy lift gantry.
- ‘Epron’, designed to perform salvage, lifting and manned diving operations amongst other roles.
Given the potential size of the wrecked pieces of the MQ-9, heavy lifting isn't necessary compared to a whole airframe of a military jet or helicopter. This means that identification and retrieval of fragements can be done by other vessels. If the MQ-9 broke up when it went into the water, the pieces will be spread widely on the seabed, a detailed survey of the seabed will be necessary. Retrieval will also be somewhat complicated.
More importantly, the GUGI operated 'Seliger', (Project 11982 research ship), is ideally suited for such work, particuarly for the survey and recovery operation, given that the ship is dedicated to advanced research and ocean survey. The 'Seliger' carries various survey equipment, including an ARS-600 autonomous underwater search-and-rescue vehicle to search for underwater objects at greater depths (up to 600m). This is a highly mobile crewed submersible that has manipulator arms and can also lift loads of up to 80kg. Significantly, the 'Seliger' has a dynamic positioning system, (DPS), installed to control and maintain the ship’s position in the sea. The 'Seliger' went to Syria in September 2018 to carry out a survey and retrieve parts of the wreckage of an IL-20 that was shot down.
There are several other dedicated rescue tugs, with a multi-role capability, such as the ‘SB-742’ or the ‘Kapitan Gurev’, (Project 22870), to assist in inspection and salvage work, (with dive support complex onboard), which is only able to support diving operations at a depth down to 60 m.
These types of ships could also potentially assist in salvage rescue operations, with their lift or dive support roles, as was the case in Syria with the salvage of military aircraft (a Su-33 and a MiG-29) - that crashed into the Mediterranean in 2016.
In addition, there is the salvage vessel ‘Sayany’, (Project 05361- Mikhail Rudnitsky Class) in service with the Black Sea Fleet. Lastly, there is the venerable grand old lady of the Black Sea Fleet, the ‘Kommuna’, (*). Onboard there is a ROV, (Pantera Plus), which capable of operating to depths of up to 1,000 metres. (Vesti December 2010), and it also has a rescue submersible, (AS-28) onboard. (Russian MOD 2017).
This vessel is a rather elderly one, in service for over a 100 years, and would be doubtful that it would take direct part in the recovery, as it is not as modern as others. Athough it has equipment with the depth capacity, it does not have the manoeuvrability or Dynamic-Positioning Systems, (DP system), that would be key to recovering small debris, (a bit like the detailled mapping of the fragments of the ARA San Juan by the Ocean Infinity's ship, the Norwegian ship Seabed Constructor). It does however, have the capability of using AS-28, (depending on the type and configuration of seabed). So, it could be possible for the use of a manned deep-sea rescue submersible, (though highly-unlikely) if so required.
At a push, even the ‘Vsevolod Bobrov’, a Project 03182 logistics support vessel, could also assist in various aspects of operations, since having cranes for cargo work, it can conduct seabed surveys and dive support, (decompression chamber onboard).
In short, there is no shortage of a range of vessels that can participate in operations to retrieve equipment or debris.
Last year I had highlighted many of these salvage and equipment recovery aspects, that had taken place behind the scenes so to speak, following the sinking of the Black Sea Fleet Flagship, ‘Moskva’. That is, closure of the ‘Moskva’s untimely demise. At that time, there was also the rescue tug ‘Spasatel Bekh’, (previously SB-739), which has a dive support capability for up to 60 metres deep, but it can deploy ROVs and other surveying equipment. This ship got sunk in June 2022, while on mission off Snake Island.
Salvage operations
Given that the reported wreck site of the MQ-9 is in waters more than 900 or 1200 metres (according to media and U.S officials), the operations will be at the limit, but not necessarily so onerous as for extreme deep-sea salvage operations, (as was the case of the crashed F-35s), this largely depends on the overall condition of the wrecked drone.
Although there may be ships with dive-support equipment such as diving-chambers, the pressure at a that depth reaches more than 90 bar, so no divers can be used, thus requiring unmanned equipment, namely the use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
Once the debris is located, by surveying the area, by using side scan sonar to map the seabed, ROVs can go down to inspect and locate the debris field. Once significant pieces of debris have been mapped and located, any operation to salvage will more than likely be exactly as the recovery of crashed US Navy aircraft, as described here:
“The aircraft was recovered using a CURV-21, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which attached specialized rigging and lift lines to the aircraft. The ship’s crane lifting hook was then lowered to the seafloor and connected to the rigging, and then lifted the aircraft to the surface and hoisted it onboard Picasso.” F-35 recovery in Sea China Sea in 2022.
The same process was used to recover a US Navy helicopter from over extreme depths in the Pacific in 2021. Take note of what is said here:
"Depth is a factor, as is whether or not the Navy has the equipment it needs. Other factors include the availability of a DP vessel, weather and season. As you’re recovering an aircraft, the ship has to stay right over the crash site.”
Another method is the use of salvage lifting 'ballons', and there are different types, a sort of elongated airbag, or a parachute shaped lift bag, that come in different sizes. These could be used along with a lifting cradle in given special circumstances.
Precedent events in the Black Sea
A salvage recovery carried out by the Black Sea Fleet was that of the signals intelligence ship (AGI) ship ‘Liman’, that sank after a collision with a merchant ship, ‘Youzarsif H’, on April 27, 2017, roughly 20 miles northwest of the Bosporus Strait.
The Russian Navy quickly sent an auxiliary ship to guard the area, then the ‘Seliger’ was sent to survey and assess the wreck. Following this, ‘SB-739’, a Project 22870 ocean-going rescue tug was sent onsite as part of the operations to retrieve sensitive equipment. All in all, several ships had different roles in the overall operation, the KIL-158, Epron, Seliger and SB-739. The Liman sank outside Turkish territorial waters, nevertheless, retrieving top-secret material from the vessel was a matter of extreme urgency given the role of the vessel and proximity to a NATO state. A very similar situation likely to have happened regarding the ‘Moskva’.
The Russian Navy has developed reasonable expertise with rescue operations, over the last decade, including assisting Argentina in the search for the ARA ‘San Juan’ in 2017. Up to recently, the Russian MoD regularly published information on exercises carried out using a variety of equipment, including mini submersibles, (DSRV), ROV robotics, and the use of deep-sea diving suits, and diving bells.
Similarly, the Russian Navy has participated in several expeditions in recent years, which were often complex in nature, to retrieve sunken larger WW2 equipment in the Barents Sea, to maintain salvage skills, or as a recent Bloomberg article outlined "allows the navy to train specialist divers and test equipment such as mini-submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles". Similarly, there has been expeditions of a historical nature in the Black Sea, including one made by President Putin, in a submersible back in 2015, belonging to the Russian Geographic Society (RGS).
Another historical salvage case related specifically to the Black Sea. On August 30, 1974, the ‘Otvazhnyy’, a Kashin Class destroyer caught fire and sunk, following an explosion of the aft SA-N-1 SAM magazine. Likewise, the Soviet Navy took the precaution of carrying out a clean-up and retrieval of equipment from the wreck site.