SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The geopolitical outcome following the USN Submarine Escape and Rescue response to the ARA SAN JUAN incident in November 2017 resulted in world Navies coming together again on subject of single person submarine escape. While the rescue of survivors from a DISSUB is the preferred method for the URC, internal conditions of the DISSUB may require some, if not all, of the survivors to initiate single person escape in lieu of waiting for rescue forces to arrive. Finally the time necessary to mobilize rescue forces may be in excess of the available time for survivors to remain onboard the DISSUB. Due to the temperature and barotraumatic risks associated with deep sea escape, the program office is in need of a new and improved single person escape technology that will decrease the risks associated with escape from 1000 fsw. Current USN escape suits are rated to 600fsw only. This challenge may involve addressing the physiological stressors on the diver's body associated with deep escape, the mechanical systems of the suit used to accomplish escape, or a combination of both. In addition to being a safety and duty of care issue, continued advancement and modernization of the USN Submarine Escape and Rescue Program is considered an Assistant Secretary of the Navy core field in support of the larger Undersea Warfare and directly aligns to both the National Defense Strategy and the Submarine Commander's Intent by defending the homeland, enabling interagency counterparts to advance U.S. influence and national security interests, ensuring USN submarine warfighting readiness and survivability and strengthening alliances and attracting new partners. The Gajjar Improved Submarine Escape Suit (GISES) is thus being proposed to successfully accomplish single-man escape from 1000 feet of seawater (fsw) eliminating the primary risk of barotraumatic diseases. Presently all United States Navy (USN) submarines are provided with the equipment certified to support single-man escape of Disabled Submarine (DISSUB) survivors down to a depth of 600 fsw. For the future USN SSN (X) many of current escape components and accessories would still be retained as certified by NAVSEA with the improved GISES to perform single person escape from DISSUB at 1000 fsw and two or more escapees per escape cycle.
