Diesel engine frames for ss alagez. The rescue ship of the Pacific Fleet "Alagez" celebrated its anniversary

Why do divers need windshield wipers? How much do their galoshes weigh? What is the difference between a bathyscaphe and a submarine? And how do submariners spend their leisure time in pressure chambers? Read about all this in the next material of the “Strangers V” project.

Ten years ago, the search and rescue vessel Alagez was stationed in the port of Vladivostok. The unique ship “in the prime of life” was being prepared for decommissioning: in the 90s, the Russian fleet was going through hard times. So the Alagez would have been dismantled for scrap if August 2000 had not happened. The tragedy occurred in the Barents Sea. On August 12, the Kursk submarine sank. They wanted to send the Alagez to the Northern Fleet, but this was impossible: almost the entire logistical part of the ship had already been delivered by that time. It cannot be said that the disaster of the Kursk submarine was the main reason, but, one way or another, since 2002, the Alagez began to be restored, and by 2010 the rescue ship was fully ready to fulfill its purpose. On the day of the 26th anniversary of the raising of the naval flag, the film crew of the project “Stranger V” visited the Alagez.

Reference

Search and rescue ship "Alagez" of project 537, code "Octopus".

• - displacement - 14 thousand tons;
• - length - 178 meters;
• - width - 27 meters;
• - draft - 7.5 meters;
• - speed - up to 24 knots;
• - designed for basing one Ka-27 PS helicopter;
• - autonomous navigation - up to 60 days;
• - ship crew - more than 200 people;
• - the first commander of the ship - captain 2nd rank Igor Gulevich;
• - Now the commander of the rescue ship "Alagez" is captain 2nd rank Valery Lepetukhin.

The vessel was laid down in December 1979 at the Shipbuilding Plant named after 61 Communards in the city of Nikolaev (Ukraine) by order of the USSR Navy. The ship was launched on April 28, July 1984, and entered service on December 30, 1988. The flag of the Navy search and rescue service on board was raised on January 15, 1989. Since 1993, Alagez has been the flagship of the Pacific rescue fleet.

"Alagez" is designed to rescue personnel of ships that have suffered an accident, search for sunken submarines and rescue their crews, provide deep-sea testing and perform many other important tasks.

“There are no analogues to the Alagez in the Russian Navy or other armed forces,” said the acting commander of the rescue ship Alagez, captain of the third rank Dmitry Koshevoy. - We were designed for long periods at sea and to ensure the safety of our submarine forces in all parts of the world's oceans. The vessel is designed to extinguish burning fuel in the water area, as well as near coastal structures, search for splashed-down spacecraft, rescue their crews, and also for towing ships. “Alagez” is unique in that it can anchor in deep water and at the same time carry out rescue operations at an emergency site.”

Our tour of Alagez began with the boathouse. This huge room is designed for storing and servicing manned underwater vehicles. There can be four of them here at the same time.

This device, similar to a mini-submarine, is called the AS-27 deep-sea manned underwater autonomous projectile. Its weight is about 75 tons. Width - 3, length - 13 meters. The device can descend to a depth of up to 1000 meters. His manipulator “arms” are capable of lifting objects weighing up to 500 kilograms.

- Dmitry Sergeevich, how does this device differ from a submarine or bathyscaphe?

Dmitry Koshevoy:- The bathyscaphe goes through one cycle: it is prepared for a dive, dives, works at depth, floats up, after which it needs to be prepared for a dive again. But with this device it’s different: I prepared for work, dived, worked, surfaced, dived, worked some more, surfaced, and so on until the battery charge runs out. Usually it lasts for 10 hours or more. After which the device must be lifted on board and the battery charged again. And a submarine is an independent autonomous object that goes on a voyage not for hours, but for a day or more.

- Round “windows” on the side - what are they for?

These are spotlights. For lighting.

“This is the only operating railway in Kamchatka,” jokes Dmitry Sergeevich.

They show us how the projectile is prepared for immersion. This colossus travels from the boathouse onto the deck on rails, and in some places it stops. “This is a necessity, because when the ship is at sea, the device must roll out gradually, otherwise we simply will not be able to hold it,” explains the captain of the third rank.

“This particular device is not intended to rescue the crew of submarines in distress, it is intended to perform underwater technical work,” says the head of the Alageza search and rescue service. Dmitry Gordeev. “A similar rescue vehicle AS-28 and AS-30 can simultaneously take on board 25 submariners from a ship in distress.”

In this case, the device approaches the submarine, stands at the coaming pad (a special device for docking with an emergency underwater object) and, as the military says, “sticks.” The procedure is similar to the docking of spacecraft, only water is pumped out from the formed “buffer” zone, when the chamber becomes sealed, the hatch is opened and the submariners can board the rescue vehicle.

- How long does the procedure for launching this device take?

Dmitry Gordeev:- According to the standard, we keep it to 50 minutes.

- How many people are in his crew?

- What do you call this thing among yourselves?

That’s what we call the “rescue apparatus” or AS-27.

- This device is for carrying out technical work, but where are such rescue devices?

They are currently on the rescue ship Georgy Kozmin, which is on duty.

We were not very lucky with the weather: due to the snow that had fallen, the apparatus was not rolled out onto the deck beyond the gates of the boathouse.

We leave the boathouse onto the deck of the Alagez.

- How to pronounce the name of the ship correctly: “Alagez” or “Alagez”?

Dmitry Koshevoy:- “Alagyoz” is the Turkic name for Mount Aragats in Armenia. It has many different names. In Russian this word is pronounced “AlagEz”.

Behind this ramp is one of the divers’ “assistants”.

“And this is our Tiger Cub!”, the senior engineer of the TPA PSS (remotely controlled underwater vehicles of the search and rescue service) introduces us to his “ward” Nikolai Seletsky.

"Tiger" is a remote-controlled uninhabited underwater vehicle. It is designed to search and monitor underwater objects, as well as to work together with divers and deep-sea vehicles at depths of up to 1000 meters. Weight - 140 kilograms. The manipulator (mechanical arm) can lift up to 20 kilograms.

“The detection range of the all-round sonar is up to 100 meters. One video camera is color, the second is black and white,” says Nikolai.

- In real conditions, do you often have to use Tiger?

Dmitry Gordeev:- Often. "Tiger" - assistant to divers. He can cut the cable with his manipulator or present some kind of tool. For example, in order to rise to the surface, a diver must spend some time, but the “Tiger” surfaces in literally 3-5 minutes, takes the necessary tool in its “paw”, lowers down and gives it to the diver. Also, with the help of this device, the diving director always monitors the divers from the ship. It's a kind of insurance. And also, since the Tiger has a locator, it can “guide” the diver to the right place.

- Did this device find anything unusual?

- “Tiger” - emergency (so-called “black”) boxes of an airplane that crashed...

- And something that you didn’t look for, but found?

Unfortunately, we did not find any treasure. ( Laughs). And from the unusual... they found the skeleton of some wooden ship in the Tatar Strait. A very old ship. After the storm, abandoned cars were found at a depth of 50 meters.

Next to the Tiger there is another deep-sea remote-controlled vehicle. Its name is “Panther Plus”. On the Alagez, the apparatus is still “on a business trip,” the sailors joke. In the fall of 2015, according to the plan, this device will receive a permanent “registration” on board the rescue ship.

- How does “Panther” differ from “Tiger”?

Nikolai Seletsky:- “Tiger” is an examination device, “Panther” is a working one. For example, first the “Tiger” scouts the situation at depth, then the “Panther” descends and carries out its tasks. It is both heavier and more functional. The Tiger has one manipulator, the Panther has two claws. One is directly working, the second is a pipe clamp. “Panther” can cut cables, a special grinder can be placed on it...

- How much does the Panther weigh?

About 500 kilograms (without weights). In general, this is a mobile complex: it consists of two containers that can be loaded onto a truck. In one container there is a control center, in the second there is a diesel generator. That is, the device can work autonomously.

- Why are the names so atypical for a ship - cat-like?

This is a question for the manufacturers. ( Laughs).

- Will there be new models coming?

We wait. But they will not be exactly the same: 10 times smaller, modernized. The old complexes looked like a lunar rover. They have outlived their usefulness.

And here is the control post of the deep-sea remote-controlled vehicle "Tiger". The Panther has its own control post.

“On these screens there is a picture from a deep-sea vehicle. There is an imitation of docking with a submarine, on which the rescue vehicle “landes.” Depth - 64 meters. The task was completed: the stand model was discovered,” says Nikolay.

- Why do you need a black and white camera?

Dmitry Gordeev:- When the device operates underwater, there is a lot of silt or plankton, which is why there is a “reflection” on the color cameras: the image merges. A black-and-white camera is high-contrast, so you can see the image in such conditions.

We continue our walk along the deck.

This fast boat BL 680 is designed for 12 people. “On the other side there is a similar boat with a capacity of 17 people,” Dmitry Gordeev continues the excursion. - And here is a rescue boat. It can carry 25 people. All of them are needed in order to quickly approach an emergency facility. Their speed is 25-32 knots.”

The diving “bell” is a kind of elevator, with the help of which deep divers reach the bottom in just a few minutes. Divers can work at depths of more than 200 meters.

And finally, here are the divers themselves! They are ready to show us two types of diving suits.

Diver Artyom Salnikov only 20 years old. He is from Moscow and is undergoing compulsory military service on the Alagez.

- Have you wanted to be a diver since childhood?

Artyom:- It accidentally happened. ( Smiles shyly). I first came to Sevastopol, where they offered to undergo training at a diving school...

- When you first dived to great depths, were you scared?

No, it wasn't scary. Initially, all this was interesting. I was already into diving with fins and snorkels.

- Can you work in all costumes?

Yes, in all of them.

- How long have you arrived in Kamchatka?

A little over a month ago. At first we spent a month in a training unit in Vladivostok, then we were brought here.

- Have you already dived in Kamchatka?

Not yet.

- Have you already been in a “combat” situation?

Only training descents were made.

- How do you like it in Kamchatka?

Interesting. Beautiful…

The first to try on a suit with the official name SVU-5.1 (universal diving equipment) Igor Ermolaev. He is also a conscript from Moscow. The equipment is designed for descent to depths of up to 60 meters. The weight of the suit is 34 kilograms.

“This diving suit began to be used literally five years ago, and it has proven itself positively in the navy,” said the commander of a group of deep sea divers Alexander Polyanin. “This is an analogue of the imported Superlite diving suit.”

The diver's equipment is similar in appearance to an astronaut's suit. Several wires are connected to it: air is supplied through a blue tube, an orange cable is for video communication with the diver, a red cable is for voice communication, and a yellow cable is a depth gauge.

The equipment can operate in an open breathing pattern (air is supplied to the diver from the surface) and in emergency mode (from a backup breathing apparatus or in a ventilated manner).

Divers are lowered to a depth of up to 60 meters in a so-called diving pavilion, and to greater depths they are “delivered” using a diving bell.

Alexander Sergeevich gives the command to the diver: “Put on a diving suit!”

Artyom will have to put on the legendary three-bolt diving suit, in other words, a “three-bolt suit”. This gear is a classic. It has been used in the navy since the 19th century. With its help you can work at a depth of up to 60 meters. “It is the most reliable! It has proven itself very well,” exclaims Alexander Polyanin. “We have slightly modernized the complex: we have installed cameras and lamps.”

It is unlikely that a diver will be able to put on a three-bolt jacket on his own: the equipment weighs 86 kilograms. The copper diving helmet is attached to the shirtfront with three bolts (hence the name). The thickness of the window glass is 12 millimeters.

By the way, the helmet from the three-bolt suit weighs 16 kilograms, the SVU-5.1 helmet weighs 11 kilograms. To stay in such a suit for a long time, you need to have excellent health. Deep divers themselves say that previously, in terms of health indicators, divers were second only to astronauts. Even now the average weight of a conscript diver is 70-80 kilograms. “You also need thicker necks and thicker wrists,” the divers joke, “Otherwise the wetsuits may leak.” There are no female divers on board the Alagez, you understand that this is not a woman’s business...

“At great depths, divers breathe a mixture of nitrogen, helium and oxygen,” says Alexander Sergeevich.

- Why do diving gloves only have three fingers?

Alexander Polyanin:- They are called “three-fingered”. It's convenient for work. For example, perform the same welding...

- Why does a diver need a knife?

If you get confused or need to cut something. You could say it's a working tool.

- Where do divers undergo training?

Conscripted sailors undergo training in Sevastopol. Preparation lasts six months.

- And immediately to a depth of 200 meters?

No. Preparation begins with emergency tasks at a depth of 26 meters. We completed the task, went to 60 meters, then to 90 meters, then 120, 160 and already 200 meters. Step by step. In general, we carry out descents regularly.

On the feet of deep-sea divers are diving galoshes (or boots). The weight of each of these “boots” is 8.5 kilograms (17 kilograms included). Standard diving galoshes weigh 21 kilograms, weighted ones - 23 kilograms. The latter are used when working at depths of more than 45 meters. Divers need such heavy shoes to increase their own weight to neutralize positive buoyancy (lift). This gives the diver the necessary stability under water.

Diving weights are used for the same purpose. Their weight is 16 kilograms.

In this equipment (SVG-200V - deep-sea diving equipment) military personnel who serve under a contract descend to depths of up to 200 meters.

The equipment consists of: wetsuit; a set of self-contained breathing apparatus, which is worn on the back; telephone and microphone headset; diving hose; water heating suit. The kit also includes weights, fins, boots, a knife, a light device and a helmet. The total weight of the suit is 70 kilograms.

A contract soldier is preparing to dive in this suit. Alexey Molyanov.

- How many years have you been serving?

Alexei:- On this ship since 2005. During his service he spent more than 1000 hours under water.

- What was the maximum depth you dived to?

At 160 meters.

This is how descent occurs in a hydraulic tank. This is a diving tower, and, in fact, a pressure chamber filled with water. The water tank is used for training descents to allow divers to “dive” (that is, first do several dives at shallower depths) before diving to greater depths.

Schematically, a hydraulic tank looks something like this.

(Photo: vpk.name)

We were very amused by the “windshield wipers” on the inside of the diving helmet. They do their job quite well - they remove condensation from glasses - and they look charming. :)

Deep divers undergo decompression in pressure chambers. Caisson sickness (decompression sickness or, in other words, divers' sickness) occurs due to a rapid decrease in the pressure of the inhaled gas mixture. As a result of this, gases dissolved in the blood and tissues of the body (nitrogen, helium, hydrogen - depending on the breathing mixture) are released in the form of bubbles into the diver’s blood and destroy the walls of cells and blood vessels, blocking blood flow. When severe, decompression sickness can lead to paralysis or death. To avoid the process of removing nitrogen from the blood, after rising to the surface, the diver is placed in decompression chambers. In them, the pressure is gradually reduced to atmospheric pressure, which allows dangerous amounts of nitrogen to escape the blood and tissues.

Pressure chambers on the ship - 15 pieces. They vary in size: they can accommodate from 5 to 15 people at a time. With the help of transition gateways they are all connected to each other. A maximum of 120 people can be accommodated here.

Inside the pressure chamber it is a bit cramped for a tall man who is unaccustomed to it. Even I, with a height of 157 centimeters, had to be more careful not to hit my head on something.

Divers and submariners spend a lot of time in pressure chambers, sometimes even living for several months. For example, after twenty minutes of work at a depth of 26 meters, decompression time takes 13 minutes, after twenty minutes of work at a depth of 200 meters - 35 hours 23 minutes.

By the way, the latrine (toilet) is separated from the living area only by a curtain.

- What do divers do in a pressure chamber for such a long time?

Alexander Polyanin:- They read books. Under so much pressure, digital technology doesn't work. We checked. For example, the phone turns off at a pressure equivalent to a depth of 26 meters. A technique that can ensure watching movies in such conditions has not yet been invented.

- They just read books, that’s all?

Why? They play chess and checkers. Take your guitar with you...

- Seriously?

Yes! In general, they can’t have much fun. At depths of over 80 meters, the body is saturated with helium, which is then difficult to remove from the body. Because of this, the timbre of the voice changes, it becomes high and hoarse...

- How do divers pass guitars and books into the pressure chamber?

There is a special cargo chamber for this. Warm things are also passed through it if someone inside is cold, for example.

The inhabitants of pressure chambers communicate with the outside world using a special hammer and conventional signals. This hammer is located inside the pressure chamber,

and this one is outside.

We go up to the aft deck, another “assistant” of the rescuers is hiding behind the next ramp, this time a rotorcraft.

They did not remove the Ka-27 PS helicopter from the hangar: the snowfall did not stop.

Using a helicopter, the Alagez crew can transfer cargo to another ship without landing on the deck, lift people from the surface of the water, conduct visual search and perform other tasks. The flight crew includes the aircraft commander, navigator, flight engineer and rescue diver. In total, the helicopter can carry 8 people on board. Its range is about 200 kilometers.

- How close to the water can a helicopter “hover”?

Dmitry Koshevoy:- It depends on the professionalism of the crew. Usually at a height of 10-15 meters, if lower, then the water rises with blades. During training, the helicopter flew just above the helipad along the side.

- Are there people on the ship who have been serving here for more than 20 years?

Dmitry Gordeev:- There is a person who came to the ship as part of the first crew. His name is Igor Karaichev. Then he was a conscript sailor, and now he is an officer, assistant commander for emergency rescue operations.

- Are there many women on the ship?

About 20 people: housekeeping team, orderlies, galley workers...

On the way to the officers' mess we talk with the acting commander Dmitry Koshev.

- How much time do you usually spend at sea?

Dmitry Koshevoy:- Differently. For example, in 2009 we were continuously at sea for 2 months. Then the Alagez crew took part in a rescue operation in the Tatar Strait: they searched for a fallen TU-142MZ anti-submarine aircraft and recovered its parts from a depth of 56 meters. The deep-sea vehicle was then lowered 90 times.

- What other “high-profile” operations did you participate in?

For example, in 2014 they supported the landing of marine troops on Wrangel Island. They also took part in a large-scale Roscosmos exercise to rescue a space descent vehicle, which, according to the scenario, crash-landed in the Pacific Ocean.

- Are there other ships similar to the Alagez?

Now "Alagez" is the only ship in the Navy, the largest rescue ship in Russia. Only two ships were built under Project 537. The second - "Elbrus" - has already served its purpose: it was decommissioned in 1997.

- Is there a cinema hall or something similar on board the ship for the entertainment of the crew?

- “Alagez” is not designed for such a long stay at sea as, for example, the ship “Marshal Krylov”. We installed televisions and show films during the passage to sea, and our passages are short. The rest of the time is work. We are not going to have fun at sea... ( Smiling).

- How long have you been serving on this ship?

Since 2009. I came as a first mate, I serve as a first mate.

- Do you have any special traditions or rituals?

We have one tradition: to get to Alagez and serve here. ( Laughs).

- Maybe something special should be done or not done before going to sea?

No. We all shave, get our hair cut... And we even go to sea on Monday if necessary. ( Smiling).

- So you don’t believe in omens?

A bad omen is believing in bad omens.

But divers have one rule that they try to follow. It is not customary for deep-sea divers to say: “The last descent,” but a real diver will say: “The final descent.” Here's another analogy with astronauts and aviators.

The food at Alagez is hearty and tasty. At least we liked it. :) And the author of several paintings in the dining room is 1st radio operator Nikolai Baranov.

By the way, divers are provided with enhanced nutrition, for example, increased meat rations, and are pampered with condensed milk and juices.

“In the bow engine room there are two auxiliary diesel engines and two main ones. Auxiliary engines are needed to provide power to the ship, and the main engines transmit torque, in other words, they are needed for propulsion,” says Dmitry Gordeev, head of the search and rescue service.

-Are they diesel?

Yes. "Alagez" is a diesel-electric ship.

And this is PEZh - a post of energy and vitality. From here comes the control of the ship's power plant and other ship equipment: fire, drainage and other pumps, as well as air dampers and fans. Commands come from the navigation bridge.

“Diesel engines generate electricity, and electric propulsion motors turn the propellers,” explains a marine systems mechanic. Gennady Legnev. - The main engine produces 5 thousand megawatts of electricity. The total power of the engines is 22.5 thousand megawatts: it is possible to illuminate half of Kamchatka. True, it will be expensive ( Laughs)».

The ship's power compartment in the engine compartment is protected by watertight bulkheads. In total, Alagez has 12 compartments and 11 bulkheads. The stern and bow are also waterproof.

We are now below the waterline. This is a propeller shaft tunnel, in other words, a screw shaft. Its length is about 30 meters. The shafts move in different directions. If they turned in one direction, the ship would be uncontrollable: it would turn on its own. The weight of one screw is about 15 tons, the diameter is 2.5 meters. The ship itself, from the keel to the masts, is the height of an 8-9 storey building. Dmitry Gordeev told us about this.

We go into the electric propulsion switchboard room. This is where the speed of the ship is controlled.

“Here the movement pattern is set, which is set by the commander,” says the 4th electromechanic Alexey Babenko.- 18 operating modes. Maximum speed - 22 knots. We usually sail between 10 and 15 knots.”

- Do you slow down during a storm?

In a storm we usually sail at a speed of more than 10 knots. If the speed is lower, then we start to sway a lot.

We go past the cockpits to the anchor compartment.

We are in the stern deep-sea anchorage room. The anchor-chain is placed in a chain box. Its length is about 350 meters.

- What if the ship must anchor at a depth of more than 350 meters?

Dmitry Gordeev:- Then we use a special cable. In general, Alagez can anchor at depths of up to 2 kilometers. We have four anchors: two bow, two stern. Each of them weighs 6 tons. If the depths are large, then we attach cables with a diameter of about 60 millimeters to the anchor chains. The length of each cable is about 2 kilometers. Usually ships at depths of over 500 meters cannot anchor, but we can. ( Smiling).

- You have so much oil here!

Certainly! The more oil, the better everything works. That's how it should be.

- How can such a large ship be supported by anchors weighing 6 tons?

The ship is held not by an anchor, but by a chain arm, which is lined with anchors. This is a law of physics. For example, the shorter the ship, the less chain you need to etch. In order for “Alagez” to stay at anchor in calm weather, you need to move 200-250 meters. Usually the chain has to be etched at 2-3 depths. You also need to take into account the windage of the vessel... There are many different tricks in our business. ( Laughs).

For us, the tour of the rescue ship "Alagez" was fascinating. After all, it’s not every day that you meet real deep-sea divers. And it’s especially nice that most of them are good, sincere people. We wish you that descents to depths are only educational, that the equipment never fails, that you have reliable support and good health!

If you are interested in the “Stranger V” project and in particular this material, share the link with your friends. Let as many people as possible learn about interesting places in Kamchatka!

Text: Olesya Surina, f from: Ilya Lobov.

Twenty years ago, the Naval flag was raised on the rescue ship "Alagez".

This vessel, designed to rescue personnel of ships in accidents, search for sunken submarines and rescue their crews, provide deep-sea testing and perform many other important tasks, was laid down in October 1979 at the shipbuilding plant in the city of Nikolaev and launched on April 28, 1988 of the year.

The fate of the ship was special, and at an early stage almost dramatic, it was intertwined with the events that took place in our country and the Navy in those difficult 90s.

Then “Alagez” was put in for repairs in Nikolaev just at the time when the collapse of the USSR began. Funding almost completely stopped, and it seemed that Alagez was finished. The equipment installed on it was specific, and some systems are generally unique and one-of-a-kind, therefore, they had to be dealt with by specialists of a special class and level, who at one time built and launched this ship.
Many manufacturing companies that carried out repairs of this equipment were by that time “abroad”, most of them simply closed, and crew members left to serve in other places. In those years, it seemed that the fate of “Alagez” was predetermined.

But since 2000, the ship began to be intensively repaired, but in Vladivostok. Considerable funds were allocated for this work; the entire staff of specialists and repairmen of the Vladivostok Shipyard was involved in completing the task. In addition, repairs were made to one of the largest docks in Primorye.

According to the commander of the SS Alagez, Captain 1st Rank Alexander Buzilov, with the start of global repairs, a decision was made on a fundamentally new formation of the crew: some of the military personnel were replaced by civilian personnel. Practice has shown that ships of this type are more convenient to operate by civilian specialists, because they have a special relationship with the ship, many of them treat it as their home. Specialists were taken from the auxiliary fleet, here in Petropavlovsk - from the rescue ship division, and young people - from schools and maritime technical schools. The remaining military personnel were the command staff, deep-sea divers, chemists and the helicopter complex maintenance team.

In 2003, when all repair and organizational issues were resolved, intensive preparations began for the inter-base transition to a permanent base. The fact is that during this voyage it was necessary to work out several tasks: to test the ship on a long voyage (Vladivostok - Petropavlovsk - Kamchatsky) and to work out the coordination of the actions of the new crew, because it was not necessary to go on a long voyage with a mixed crew. During the transition, all of them were successfully completed.

From the very first day the ship was in the naval base of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, conscript and contract service personnel and officers intensively prepared for this main task, and in September 2006, for the first time in several years in Kamchatka, divers carried out descents of divers to a depth of up to 120 meters, after long period of restoration of the ship's technical readiness!

Despite the fact that the majority of the crew participated in providing diving descents for the first time, and participation in such events was a premiere for many, the assigned task was completed in full.

2008 was a very busy year for Alagez. First of all, last year, for the first time in Kamchatka, state tests of the modernized deep-sea vehicle AS-28 took place, and we, in cooperation with the crews of other ships of the division, took a direct part in them.

The next, very important, new and very serious event for the ship was the testing of the Alageza helicopter complex with actual landing. This task was practiced with a group of air force and air defense troops and forces.

In July, deep-sea divers of the rescue ship "Alagez", commanded by Captain 1st Rank Alexander Buzilov, successfully completed dives to depths of 120 and 160 meters as part of a planned combat training.

Reference

In the 80s The Navy of the Soviet Union was building new ships and equipping them with modern technical means. For example, two Project 537 rescue vessels, unique in their multi-purpose capabilities, were built - Elbrus (1980) and Alagez (1989). These ships were a qualitatively new step in the development of the subclass of rescue ships. Now "Alagez" is the flagship of the rescue forces.

They provide for the simultaneous deployment of four manned underwater vehicles and an uninhabited remotely controlled vehicle. The main launching device ensures the descent and ascent of underwater vehicles in waves up to 5 points. The vessels have thrusters, which allow them to be held stably in a given place, and a deep-water anchoring device.

The complex of diving equipment ensures the performance of diving work at depths of up to 250 m. It contains a hydro-pressure chamber, which allows for simulated diving descents to maintain the necessary physiological training of divers during long autonomous trips. Rescued submariners can undergo decompression in the pressure chambers of the diving complex. The ships are equipped with modern means of providing assistance to damaged ships and sunken submarines, and have helipads and hangars for helicopters.