When equipment is operating thousands of feet beneath the ocean’s surface, reliable propulsion and precise vehicle control are essential.
Innerspace thrusters (1002-14600R Electric Thrusters) are installed aboard CURV 21, the U.S. Navy’s deep-ocean remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operated during salvage missions by Phoenix International in support of the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV).
CURV 21 is designed to meet deep-ocean salvage requirements at depths of up to 20,000 feet and has played a central role in some remarkable underwater recovery operations.
Two Historic Deep-Ocean Recoveries
In 2019, CURV 21 was used during the recovery of a U.S. Navy C-2A Greyhound aircraft from approximately 18,789 feet below the surface of the Philippine Sea.
Two years later, CURV 21 returned to the depths for another extraordinary operation. In March 2021, the system was used to rig and recover a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter from 19,075 feet beneath the Pacific Ocean near Okinawa, Japan.
The 2021 operation surpassed the Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving’s previous aircraft-recovery depth record.
Proven in Demanding Underwater Environments
For Innerspace, these missions demonstrate the type of demanding applications our underwater propulsion technology is engineered to support.
We are proud that Innerspace thrusters aboard CURV 21 have contributed to a remotely operated vehicle capable of working in some of the most challenging deep-ocean environments in the world.
The accomplishments belong to the skilled teams responsible for designing, operating, deploying, and supporting CURV 21. We are honored to have Innerspace technology serving as part of that system.
We are honored that Innerspace propulsion technology played a role in these remarkable achievements.
The attached photograph shows CURV 21 equipped with Innerspace thrusters, and Phoenix International’s reports below provide further details about both recoveries. https://www.phnx-international.com/phoenix-and-supsalv-perform-record-breaking-deep-ocean-salvage-of-mh-60s-helicopter-near-okinawa-japan/
Learn More About CURV 21 and These Operations
Additional information about CURV 21 and its deep-ocean salvage missions is available from the U.S. Navy and Phoenix International:
2019 — C-2A Greyhound Deep-Ocean Recovery