JFD celebrates a decade of successful ocean exercises for Australia’s world-class submarine rescue system

• JFD completes ten years of participation in the Royal Australian Navy’s Black Carillon submarine rescue exercises
• The rigorous testing which underpins the annual Black Carillons, ensures global certification of this important sovereign capability
• Replicating real-life emergencies, these exercises help to ensure that JFD is “rescue ready” at 12 hours’ notice to respond to a disabled submarine anywhere in the world

JFD Australia - the trusted, proven and reliable supplier of the submarine rescue system to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) for more than 12 years - is pleased to acknowledge a decade of successful participation in the yearly Black Carillon submarine rescue exercises off the coast of Western Australia.

Held each October-November in some of the world’s most challenging ocean environments, Black Carillons are designed to thoroughly test every aspect of Australia’s submarine rescue system in a series of scenarios that replicate, as closely as possible, a real-life submarine emergency.

These scenarios include several shallow and deep-water dive rotations to demonstrate the capability of JFD’s fully-integrated system which includes a submarine rescue vehicle (a “mini” submarine with pilot and crew), a transfer-under-pressure chamber to bring submarine personnel safely to the surface and a hyperbaric equipment suite where the submariners can receive immediate, and often life-saving, medical treatment once they are out of the water.

Importantly, with this capability the entire crew (up to 60 personnel) of Australia’s Collins-class (or future Attack-class) submarines can be rescued and treated at the same time if required. 

“The highest priority for JFD has been and always will be to keep Australia’s submariners and other defence force personnel safe,” said Dr Allan du Toit AM Chair JFD Australia (and retired Rear Admiral).

“In an emergency situation, human life is the only thing that matters, that time to first rescue is critical and being on stand-by to respond and mobilise our air-transportable system with our team of highly-trained staff from JFD’s advanced operations centre south of Perth could not be more important.

“That is why exercises like Black Carillon, as tough and demanding as they are, mean that we are rescue ready at all times and proud to be the world’s ‘safe pair of hands’.”

In recognition of its decade-long involvement in Black Carillons, JFD has released a short video which encapsulates the system’s capability