Reservists to the rescue! Specialist team bolsters salvage capabilities

Thirteen members of the Royal Naval Reserve’s Engineering Branch took on a series of challenges coping with simulated, but realistic battle damage, conducting repairs under the watchful eyes of assessors.

The team faced challenges they would likely face in ships damaged in conflict, such as high-volume pumping of contaminated water from flooded compartments, reclaiming compartments after action damage, and rigging a damaged vessel for towing so that it can be recovered to a safe location for repair – work which comes under the collective banner of ‘action salvage’.

The MOD maintains a permanent salvage unit, SALMO (Salvage and Marine Operations) as part of the Defence Equipment and Support organisation.

It conducts challenge salvage and recovery operations around the globe, such as raising aircraft which crash or make emergency landings in the sea, or overseeing the towing or ferrying home of ships which have been damaged, such as destroyer HMS Nottingham after she hit rocks off Australia back in 2002.

In passing the assessment aboard a Type 23 frigate in Devonport, the Reserve Action Salvage Team is now fully operational.

The team relies on volunteers to work in peace time with SALMO to prepare for mobilisation on transition to war. 

The team’s success hinges on civilian reservists volunteering to gain – and maintain qualifications and – experience in salvage-related skills, such as seamanship, slinging and operating forklifts and powerboats.