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Russian underwater vehicle makes first dive in Argentine submarine search area

The signal recorded on November 30 by Victor Angelescu vessel’s sonar of the Ministry of Agriculture was verified with the help of an image taken by the Russian apparatus Panther Plus
A view of the entrance of the naval base of the missing submarine ARA San Juan AP Photo/Vicente Robles
A view of the entrance of the naval base of the missing submarine ARA San Juan
© AP Photo/Vicente Robles

BUENOS AIRES, December 3. /TASS/. The remote-controlled underwater vehicle Panther Plus, provided by Russia, took the first snapshot of the object found in the search area of the San Juan submarine, according to a representative of the Argentine Navy.

According to the representative, the signal recorded on November 30 by Victor Angelescu vessel’s sonar of the Ministry of Agriculture was verified with the help of an image taken by the Russian apparatus Panther Plus. Thus, that the object found at a depth of 477 meters is not the San Juan submarine.

The search for the vessel continues, three more signals recorded in the search zone at a depth of 700, 800 and 900 meters will be checked.

It was reported earlier, that on order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu instructed to dispatch a group of experts from the 328th expedition search and rescue detachment with the Pantera Plus unmanned submersible vehicle and the ocean survey vessel Yantar to Argentina. The task force comprises the commander and operators of the Pantera Plus unmanned submersible vehicle, deep-water divers and a diving medicine physician.

The diesel-electric submarine San Juan with a 44-strong crew went missing off the coast of Argentina on November 15. According to the Argentine Navy, the search for the submarine began in the evening of November 16. The next day, a search and rescue operation was launched.

The search and rescue operation is being held in the area where, according to the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, an explosion was registered on the day the submarine went missing.