Undersea Rescue Command (URC) is the home to the United States Navy’s submarine rescue specialists. URC provides operational, administrative, maintenance, and logistical oversight of the Navy's shallow and deep water rescue systems as well as the Remotely Vehicle (ROV) intervention system. URC uses a mix of active duty sailors, reserve component personnel, and government contractors to provide 24/7 worldwide submarine rescue coverage for United States and foreign submarines. URC is the sole US provider of Submarine Rescue capability for the United States Navy.
The goal of URC is to conduct open hatch rescue operations with a dissabled submarine (DISSUB) anywhere in the world within 96 hrs of alert.
URC trains to rescue personnel from a DISSUB under the following conditions:
• Internally pressurized up to 5 Atmospheres (ATAs)
• Submarine hatch/rescue seat inclined up to 45 degrees from horizontal
• Capable of rescue with up to 2.5 knots of surface current in Sea State III conditions
• Rescue capable down to a maximum depth of 2000 feet of seawater (>600 meters).
If necessary, URC can provide initial medical assistance and life support stores directly to the DISSUB on the first rescue sortie.