A new, modernized underwater rescue system dubbed SSP-M and designed for the Russian Navy underwater forces will be demonstrated during the Army 2017 International Military-Technical Forum.
According to the Russian defense ministry, the equipment was tested at the Rescue and Underwater Technologies R&D Institute of the Russian Navy in Saint Petersburg.
The SSP-M is a full-body suit which allows sailors to leave a distressed submarine not only through the rescue hatch but also through other linking devices such as torpedo launchers and the conning-tower pressure hull of a submarine.
One of the main advantages of the new system is the possibility of evacuating from the submarine without a breathing apparatus. According to Russian media reports, once the suit inflates, it sends a sailor towards the surface at a speed of 3 m/s. Decompression problems are reportedly avoided as the sailor has no time to breathe during the ascend.
At the moment, the equipment is being tested by units of the Russian Navy and will be put into service of the Russian Navy underwater forces if it passes all trials. The system is planned to be used on the 4th generation of Russian nuclear and diesel-electric submarines.