MOSCOW. July 20 (Interfax) - A squadron of support vessels of the Russian Pacific Fleet has completed an underwater research expedition to the Kuril Islands, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"The expedition involved a detailed survey of the bottom surface off Matua Island using the C-Explorer 3.11 manned submersible, whose dives were provided by the crew of the Igor Belousov rescue vessel," the statement said.
"During the expedition, experimental dives were successfully performed, the purpose of which was to test the technology of the apparatuses with a closed breathing circuit and electronic control during rescue, underwater technical and other diving operations in the interests of the Navy," the ministry said.
The expedition was undertaken jointly with the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society, it said. The expedition included the Igor Belousov rescue vessel and the Alexander Rogotsky small hydrographic vessel of the Pacific Fleet.
"A working group of the Pacific Fleet and the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society used practical methods to determine the possibility and expediency of combining the technology of deep-sea diving using autonomous deep-sea equipment with the devices and systems with which the vessels of the Russian Navy's emergency rescue service are equipped. Additionally, elements of interaction in the implementation of diving operations jointly with manned and unmanned submersibles at depths of more than 100 meters were practiced," the statement said.
Additionally, during the expedition "the examination of the U.S. submarine Herring, which sank during the Great Patriotic War, with detailed photos and videos of the object, was completed, as well as an action to perpetuate the memory of the fallen submariners by placing a memorial plaque with the list of its crew on the hull of the submarine was carried out," the press release said.
The joint expedition of the supply vessels of the Pacific Fleet and the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society lasted more than 20 days, it said.