First,
submarine rescue is a humanitarian mission requiring cooperation in
a time of crisis. Cmdr. Deep Mathur, the Indian Navy’s Deputy Director
for Submarine Acquisition, summed up this issue by saying, "The
submarine safety and rescue seminar is a timely initiative. It takes
place at a time when the complexities and pitfalls of the business of
submarine rescue have received global exposure. It would be an appropriate
launch pad for bringing to the fore unity of effort in the global context,
should such an eventuality arise anywhere, any time. Submarine rescue
needs to be understood as a humanitarian need, rather than a naval or
military operation."
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We should set the ball
rolling by forming a core group at this juncture to work out details
of a Multilateral Submarine Rescue Agreement. |
To
promote the broadest cooperation, the conference tried to include the
maximum number of submarine-operating nations from the Pacific, resulting
in it being the first region-wide submarine forum. China’s participation
was a key factor in contributing to this goal. As Ambassador Charles
H. Twining, then Foreign Policy Advisor to the Commander in Chief, U.S.
Pacific Command (USCINCPAC) told the group, "We are no longer in
the Cold War, nor is it in anyone’s interest to expand military
rivalries. USCINCPAC, Adm. Dennis C. Blair, likes to point out that
no framework for security in the Asia-Pacific region will be complete without unprecedented
cooperation among regional armed forces. This involves shared procedures,
communications, and planning. All countries must be included in this
cooperative effort."
A second consistent theme was the need for formal rescue agreements
to define responsibilities. "It is my opinion that we should set
the ball rolling by forming a core group at this juncture to work out
details of a Multilateral Submarine Rescue Agreement," said Cmdr.
Mathur. While there was substantial debate regarding the form and scope
of a proposed agreement, there was consensus regarding the need to establish
one.
Lt. Cmdr. Jeong Sung Kyun of the ROKN stated, "A collaboration
between member nations shall be a great help to develop each nation’s
rescue program, because it can take into account the uniqueness of each
country as well as international common factors."
Conference participants agreed that sharing information as part of the
planning process would be vital to the success of an actual submarine
rescue operation. This information includes submarine rescue systems
specifications and technical data, availability and configuration details
of support vessels, availability of medical assets, results and lessons
learned from exercises.
Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, made the
implications of cooperation very clear. "The inroads you make this
week will enable the exchange of planning and technical information
that is required to facilitate rapid response in an emergency. We will
not have to wonder whether our equipment and platforms can work together,
and we will not have to take precious time in the early hours of an
emergency to conduct technical analysis to satisfy ourselves that the
rescue operations will neither jeopardize the disabled submarine nor
the rescue vessel itself. This type of analysis can and should be done,
as well as collaboration tools for developing agreements and plans ahead
of time as part of a well-prepared international response plan."
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