Revolutionary diving suit redefines deep sea military operations
A cutting-edge deep sea rebreather is poised to transform underwater Navy operations, allowing operators to function at depths of up to 100m below the surface.
Avon Protection's new deep-water diving system is designed to enhance safety, extend the duration of a mission to up to four hours and provide improved command and control capabilities.
The equipment was created in collaboration with the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Royal Norwegian Navy, and is set to revolutionise deep-water operations.
Avon Protection has been supplying equipment to the Ministry of Defence since the 1920s.
The company is a primary supplier of integrated protective equipment to Nato, as well as the US Department of Defense.
How does it work?
As divers exhale, the system captures the expelled gases, scrubs the carbon dioxide and reintroduces oxygen, maintaining the same ratio of oxygen as it would be at the surface, around 21%.
This eliminates the need for large air cylinders, allowing for the use of two smaller cylinders with mixed gases for greater operational efficiency at significant depths.
Crucially, a rebreather does not expel any tell-tale bubbles, which could alert the enemy to a diver's presence.
How will it be used?
The system is designed for explosive ordnance disposal, mine countermeasures and special operations diving.
The high-tech equipment also has an integrated command and control system.
This allows a commander to see the location of the diver while they are underwater, as well as monitor their physiological conditions such as their heart rate and temperature.
This is important because personnel wearing the suit would typically be operating between 70m and 80m below the surface where it is dark and very cold. Deep ocean water can get as cold as -3C.
Avon Protection developed a special heated suit to go with the rebreather system that provides warmth to certain parts of the body depending on the diver's physiological conditions, making sure they are comfortable throughout the dive.
The rebreather system is already in use by some European forces and is expected to be in service with British service personnel in the next couple of years.
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