Page 205 - MDSL Final

THE ENABLERS OF MARITIME POWER
to repair, maintain harbour security systems, assistance to underwater
construction, underwater photography, underwater video graphic,
lifesaving, repair and maintenance of diving equipment, conducting
diving training, underwater clearance of explosive or ordnance, search
and rescue missions and conduct Recompression Chamber (RCC) tests
and treatments.

Command Diving unit at Dockyard, Trincomalee is the central diving
station facilitated with diving stores, repair workshop and recompression
chamber facility. The two recompression chambers available have saved
many patients suffering from decompression sickness while diving, from
death or paralysis and this hyperbaric treatment facility is available only
with SLN in Sri Lanka to date. During the conflict SLN divers played a major
role in mine clearance operations especially when improvised sea mines
were laid by the LTTE in the naval SLOC in shallow waters of the Jaffna
peninsula. With the development of controlled mines, contact mines,
limpet mines, moored mines and electronically operable contact mines
by the enemy, the brave divers of SLN conducted clearance operations in
trying conditions even in deep waters to safeguard the SLOC and provide
a safe passage for the fleet.

Salvage operations is another field in which naval divers displayed their
professionalism especially after stranding, grounding, capsizing of vessels
in cyclones, attacks by enemy and after the Tsunami in 2004. Even after
the conflict, the divers contributed immensely to re-float vessels that
were damaged/sunk by the enemy in harbours/harbour entrances to
prevent them being hazardous to safe navigation.

Divers carry out tremendous assistance to civil authorities as well. Being
trained in water borne skills, divers are called upon by the Department of
Irrigation for emergency repairs to sluice gates and clogging of reservoirs
and the local Police for recovering remains of drowned persons and
investigating underwater crimes.

Research and Development Unit (RDU)

With the realisation that SLN has the basic ingredients and potential
to implement successful research and development projects, an

To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea 185