Saturation Fly Away Diving System approved
US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has approved the US Navy’s Saturation Fly Away Diving System (SATFADS) for sustained operations.
The approval follows 30ft wet certification testing of the system’s launch and recovery system in late September.
SATFADS is designed to provide a mobile and worldwide capability for deep water sustained diving operations. It can support six saturation divers for a period of 21 days, with an additional nine days of decompression.
Bill Dodd, master diver, Navy Experimental Diving Unit, said: ‘This effort is a culmination of more than two years of hard work and collaboration within NAVSEA. It allows our divers to train in a real-world environment that would not have happened if not for the detachment’s technical proficiency.’
More from Naval Warfare
-
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
-
Japan’s FY2027 budget bets on stand-off systems to offset demographic decline
Japan’s FY2027 defence budget backs stand-off strike, a 17-aircraft MQ-9B buy and a declared bid to lead the world in uncrewed maritime assets, alongside new frigates, submarines and support ships.
-
Russia’s uncrewed boat portfolio hints at future naval demand
Ukrainian intelligence has catalogued more than 20 Russian uncrewed surface vessels, revealing a portfolio weighted towards mine warfare and logistics, with implications for Western naval investment.