JFD wins £63m ‘Third In-Service Support’ NATO submarine rescue system contract

World-leading underwater capability provider, JFD, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has today announced that it has won the prestigious ‘Third In-Service Support’ (3ISS) contract, worth £63m, continuing seven years of safety critical operational assurance services to the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS).

The 3ISS contract awarded to JFD by the NSRS Authority, on behalf of the Participant Nations, UK, France and Norway, demonstrates its confidence in JFD’s ability to provide a full and complete in-service support solution.

The NSRS is a premier fly-away global submarine rescue capability which exists to give submariners the best chance of survival should a submarine incident occur. The five-year 3ISS contract will start in summer 2023 and has the potential to be extended to a total of nine years.

Having managed the ‘Second In-Service Support’ (2ISS) contract since 2015, JFD has demonstrated its proven operational excellence through assured availability of the NSRS. JFD’s 3ISS solution is rooted in intimate system knowledge and operational insight gained throughout the 2ISS contract.

JFD has unrivalled experience with real-life submarine rescue incidents, including locating and identifying the wreckage of KRI Nanggala, and deploying systems in support of the submarine Kursk and AS-28 Priz incidents. JFD builds upon the expertise and lessons learned from these incidents to continue to raise the standards for safety in the submarine rescue domain.

Richard Dellar, managing director, JFD, said: “We are extremely proud to have been awarded the NSRS 3ISS contract. It is a true testament to the breadth and depth of our talented personnel’s submarine rescue expertise and dedication. This decision firmly places JFD as the world leader in submarine rescue provision.

“NSRS will continue to form a key part of JFD’s global submarine rescue community along with Australia, Singapore, India and the other nations we support. We are committed to work alongside the NSRS Authority to ensure the highest levels of operational assurance are always achieved.”

A world leader in the design, build and operation of submarine rescue systems, JFD has played an integral role in the UK’s submarine rescue provision since 1983 and the NSRS since it came into service in 2008.

JFD also has a comprehensive global submarine rescue infrastructure, supporting submarine rescue contracts with multiple navies as well as in-service contracts for the Australian, Singaporean and Indian submarine rescue systems.

In the event of a distressed submarine (DISSUB), any delay to the rescue operation can have catastrophic results. To locate the DISSUB and rescue the lives on board as quickly as possible, the NSRS must be maintained at a high state of operational readiness and specialist personnel must be fully trained in all aspects of a safe rescue.

JFD’s 3ISS solution builds upon the past seven years’ performance and the team’s extensive knowledge of global submarine rescue systems. Throughout the course of the 2ISS contract, JFD has undertaken 18 mobilisation exercises and its proven team has an established track record for delivery in their field.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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