MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. The new Gefest training facility, designed for submariners, has been commissioned in Vladivostok, the press service of the Russian Pacific Fleet reported.
"The first training session was held for the crew of the diesel-electric submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky under the supervision of the complex's head and crew commander, Captain 2nd Rank Andrei Barkov as part of mastering the new Gefest training facility," the press service reported.
It noted that the submarine’s crew practiced coordinated actions to cope with outside water entry caused by simulated hull damage and to deal with various types of fires in compartments in a situation as close to real life as possible.
"The training is necessary so that personnel can experience what it’s like to fight a real fire and a real water influx, understand how firefighting equipment works, and learn how to breathe while wearing individual respiratory and eye protection means. On the submarine, they practice simulated fire-and water-free situations, refining their motor skills and procedures during a fire or water influx, while on the Gefest facility, they are trained with an actual water influx and open fire," Barkov said.
The press service specified that the Gefest modular facility comprises 12 containers and allows for simultaneous submarine damage control training for several groups. It simulates a variety of potential emergency situations, as close as possible to the real-life situations a submarine crew might encounter. The complex is equipped with water and carbon dioxide fire suppression systems, a breach simulator, and other systems. The modules simulate a diesel compartment, galley, cabin, torpedo compartment, and a smoke maze. The chief instructor observes the actions of the submarine crew through a monitor displaying images transmitted from video cameras.