BMT Isis Supports JFD’s NSRS Contract

BMT Isis will provide safety and environmental support for JFD’s five-year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence for the provision of the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS).

JFD, which was formed by the merger of James Fisher Defence and Divex in 2014, has been awarded the five-year contract which includes options through to 2023 and encompasses all aspects of operation and through-life-support. The service will be managed by JFD’s Submarine Escape and Rescue team in parallel with existing similar services for Australia and Singapore. Engineering and technical support will be provided by JFD’s Engineering Support Cell.

Following on from the conduct of an independent safety review of the NSRS and Australian Submarine Escape and Rescue System (SERS), BMT Isis has worked closely with JFD in an effort to raise the safety and environmental standards within the field of submarine, escape and rescue.

As part of the long-term commitment, BMT will undertake a safety governance role to JFD’s world-wide operations, with the NSRS being operated in accordance with JFD’s Operational Safety Management System. Safety and environmental support will include the use of BMT’s Hazard and Risk Management System (HARMS) software, which will enable the ‘live’ management of safety and environmental risks across multiple sites around the world.

Mike Prince, Managing Director of BMT Isis, said: “We have a long standing engagement with JFD for the provision of safety and environment management which has allowed us to demonstrate the breadth and depth of our knowledge and expertise across many different sectors.

“This is a fantastic achievement for JFD and we’re proud to be able to continue our strategic partnership with the team to deliver the support required for the NSRS.”

Mike Howarth, Managing Director of JFD, said: “It is a source of great pride that the Participant Nations of the United Kingdom, France and Norway have entrusted the management of the NSRS to JFD. The contract recognises our unwavering commitment to the safety of submariners, and the diligence with which we deliver our existing services in Australia and Singapore.”

Cdr Dickie Randall, NSRS Programme Manager, on behalf of the NSRS Participant Nations, said: “It is vital to the safety of submariners worldwide that the NSRS remains a fully-capable service delivered by skilled and experienced personnel. It is absolutely critical that we have a submarine rescue service that is not just fit-for-purpose, but also world class in its capabilities. We have been well supported in the assistance NSRS has received from industry since its inception in 2004 and a continued association with the proven capability of JFD bodes well for the future.”

Image: BMT