Russian Navy to commission RDDV Bester

The Project 18270 rescue deep-diving vehicle (RDDV) Bester will be commissioned by the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet in 2019.

Designed to assist rescue crews of submarines at water depths of up to 720 metres, the RDDV also surveys underwater objects and performs technical work.

The vehicle is equipped with a life support system that reliably operates using the "dry" and "wet" rescue methods at depths of up to 60 metres.

Bester is being repaired and updated at the Kanonersky shipyard at St Petersburg under supervision of the Navy's Search-and-Rescue Service.