The rescue vessel “Kommuna” of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy has received in Novorossiysk a modernized deep-sea vehicle AS-28 of project 1855 “Prize”, delivered by rail from St. Petersburg, and is heading to the base in Sevastopol, the Russian Ministry of Defense reports. …
“The AS-28 deep-sea vehicle underwent modernization and scheduled repairs, during which modern traffic control systems, updated sound-underwater communications and video surveillance equipment were installed on it,” the military department notes.
In August 2005, the AS-28 off the coast of Kamchatka got caught with a screw on poaching nets and a military antenna grid, as a result of which it got stuck at a depth of about 200 meters. The deep submersible was freed by the British Super Scorpio ROV. Seven sailors, who were under water for more than 70 hours, did not require serious medical assistance.
The “Kommuna” ship, launched in 1913 and nowadays adapted for basing manned rescue vehicles, is the oldest operational ship of the Russian Navy. The deep-sea vehicle AS-28 of project 1855 “Prize” was launched in 1985.
