ROVs are large adaptable underwater robots with mechanical arms—of similar dexterity to human arms—designed to carry out a variety of tasks, both through the water column and on the seabed. They can also be fitted with a large range of sensors and tools for specific tasks.
The ROV earmarked for SALMO will complement and increase the UK’s existing marine salvage and emergency response capabilities. It will be used for a variety of in-water tasks, including wreck surveys and salvage response, and can be deployed from various vessels.
The FET ROV system, acquired following a voluntary transparency notice issued this July, is being manufactured at the company’s UK facility at Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire. It will be delivered in 2025 with sea trials carried out in the UK.
The contract also includes a two-year support solution, spares package, vessel integration and sea trials support, a training package, and the potential for upgrades and additions.
A previously supplied FET ROV was deployed by SALMO in January 2024 to successfully recover the bell of USS Jacob Jones from the depths near the Isles of Scilly after 107 years. The first US Navy destroyer to be sunk during wartime, the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1917 whilst returning to home port after successfully escorting a convoy to Brest. Sixty-six crew members were lost in the attack.
Kevin Taylor, FET’s Vice President Operations – Subsea, said: “We are extremely pleased that FET has been selected again by SALMO for an additional ROV system. This is one of the most versatile systems on the market and has the capabilities required for the tasks that it will undertake for the SALMO team. We look forward to delivering the solution on time next year.”
Andy Liddell, Head of SALMO, said: “A momentous amount of work has gone into preparing what has been a complex contract in a very short time. The project team have pulled together and demonstrated a holistic and agile route to procurement. It was a great feeling to sign the contract and move us into the next stage.”
FET has previously supplied ROVs and submarine rescue vehicles to major navies around the world and has also built emergency life support store (ELSS) pods for the Hellenic Navy. Its products are suited across underwater industry applications, including defence, traditional and sustainable energy, telecommunications, mining, aquaculture and academia.
