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Telecoms Cables

Solent

In 2015 DSMC entered into a contract with A2sea solutions to provide diving support for the replacement of BT fibre optic cables from the UK mainland to the Isle of Wight as part of the new Royal Navy Aircraft carrier project.

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The first task was to clear the cable route of UXO, for this DSMC used a shallow water landing craft and a number of support RIBs operating 24 hours to complete diver searches using a magnetometer operated by UXO trained personnel using search patterns that were tracked and recorded with our 

diver mounted USBL and DGPS systems, all magnetometer hits were then exposed to confirm their identity and then disposed of as required.

Later in the year DSMC completed the Pre-lay Grapnel Run (PLGR) before the first 2 new cables were installed and commissioned with DSMC supporting the shore end landings and cable pull-ins followed by diver cable burial and route survey and inspections.

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Following the commissioning of the new cables DSMC were tasked with recovering the now redundant old cable from the shipping lane.

Work began for the third cable on a different route in 2017 with further route clearance and redundant cable recovery followed by a PLGR. All equipment and personnel were mobilised in April 2018 for the cable installation phase when DSMC again mobilised a shallow water landing craft and diving RIB to support the beach landings, launch and recovery of the Kraken cable burial jet sledge and the post lay diver surveys and cable protection articulated pipe fitting.

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