September 13, 2012: The Indian Navy has announced interest in procuring a submarine rescue bell with a capacity for 12 men for fitment aboard one of its submarine rescue ships. The SRB needs to come fitted with a launch and recovery system, associated life support and locator system (one transducer is to be fitted onboard SRB). The Navy wants its new SRB to be able to enable dry escape from a depth of 300 metres and wet escape from a depth of 120 metres in turbulence up to sea state 4.

The Navy has stipulated that the SRB is to cater for breathing gas supply for the two crew and ten escapees in case of damage to main umbilical. The SRB should carry sufficient onboard gas in non corrosive cylinders (Working Pressure 300 bars) capable of providing bottom mixture, oxygen (for oxygen make-up) and helium for the crew and escapees for upto 24 hours. Two high resolution colour videos cameras are also required to be fitted on the rescue bell, one external and the other inside the working chamber. According to requirements, the colour video feed from external camera is to be available in working chamber of SRB as well as operator console and internal camera feed is to be available on the operator console. "The video should give a clear picture about the position of SRB w.r.t to the submarine," the Navy stipulates, also demanding life-span support for the product and all its components from potential vendors.