Kongsberg Kit for Italy's Submarine Rescue Ship

February 13, 2023

The new SDO-SuRS (Special and Diving Operations - Submarine Rescue Ship) to be built by the Italian shipyard T.Mariotti for the Italian navy. Image courtesy Kongsber/T. Mariotti

Kongsberg Maritime will provide a suite of equipment to a newbuild ship dubbed SDO-SuRS (Special and Diving Operations - Submarine Rescue Ship) to be built by the Italian shipyard T.Mariotti for Marina Militare Italiana (The Italian Navy).

Central to this order are a pair of Kongsberg Elegance propulsion pods, direct electric permanent magnet motor driven pods matched with a Kongsberg electric power system, including batteries and power management system.

According to Kongsberg, the permanent magnet electric motor provides optimal efficiency over a large speed range, combined with an excellent hydrodynamic design developed in Kongsberg’s Hydrodynamic Research Center.

The compactly designed pods have a low oil content and double barrier seal solution, to protect the ocean, while offering vessels the ability to operate in fully electric zero emissions mode in port or for limited offshore operations.

Additionally, the order includes three Kongsberg tunnel thrusters, Mcon propulsion control system, DP3 (Dynamic Positioning) system, and single and multibeam echo sounders.

The vessel build program offers further potential for Kongsberg Maritime in the shape of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.

The 120m vessel will replace Nave Anteo, which has now reached the end of its operating life after more than 45 years of use. While the new ship fulfils the need for a specialized unit for the search and rescue of damaged submarines, it will also offer support to a wide spectrum of military and civil underwater activities, and special operations.

“This contract represents the start of an exciting market development for the Elegance pod propulsion systems,” said Ottar Ristesund, SVP sales, Kongsberg Maritime. “The quiet, efficient operation of these traction propeller equipped units aboard the SDO-SuRS vessel will help show the naval shipbuilding industry that the way ahead is with permanent magnet pod propulsors. Not only do they offer the end user an efficient, noiseless, carbon-reducing future-proof propulsion platform, shipyards love them too as the units utilize simple interfaces that allow safe and easy fitting to the hull”