LR7

The LR-7 being retrieved by Changdao during RIMPAC 2016.
Class overview
Builders	Forum Energy Technologies (FET) [1]
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded by	35-ton deep-submergence rescue vehicle
In service	2009 - present [2]
History
People's Republic of China
Name	LR7
In service	2009 [2]
Status	Active
General characteristics
Type	Deep-submergence rescue vehicle
Displacement	38 tons (full) [3]
Length	9.6 metres (31 ft) [2]
Beam	3.2 metres (10 ft) [2]
Draught	3.4 metres (11 ft) [2]
Installed power	Lead-acid batteries [2]
Propulsion	2 x electric motors (26.8 horsepower (20.0 kW)) [2] 4 x tilting side thrusters (16 horsepower (12 kW)) [2]
Speed	3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) [2]
Capacity	18 survivors [2]
Crew	3 [2]

The LR7 is a deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) of the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). It was built by FET (Forum Energy Technologies) formerly Perry Slingsby of Britain. The LR7 entered service in 2009. ^[2]

Development

In 2000 and 2001, Chinese representatives attended international submarine rescue conferences and exercises. This may have followed the 1995 accident suffered by Chinese submarine 361 while surfaced leading to the deaths of the entire crew. China entered negotiations to purchase DSRVs from Britain or Canada ^[4] which may have resulted in the order for the LR7 through Rolls-Royce Marine. ^[3]

The LR7 was tested in Loch Linnhe, Scotland, in September 2008. It was delivered ^[3] and entered service in 2009. ^[2]

The Type 926 submarine support ship was developed to deploy the LR7. The first was laid down in 2007 and entered service in 2010. ^[5]

Design

The LR7 may operate at depths of 500 meters and may dock with submarines with their bows 60 degrees up. ^[2]

Originally Manufactured by Perry Slingsby Systems and is now Forum Energy Technologies (FET). ^[6]

References

1. "Submarine Rescue Systems".
2. Saunders 2015, p. 159.
3. Wertheim 2013, p. 114.
4. Bussert, James C. (December 2003). "Chinese Submarines Pose a Double-Edged Challenge". AFCEA International . Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
5. Saunders 2015, p. 165.
6. "Submarine Rescue Systems".

Sources

• Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2015). Jane's Fighting Ships 2015-2016. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0710631435.
• Wertheim, Eric (2013). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (16 ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-1591149545.