The deliberate search effort, which began Nov. 15 when the submarine went missing, recently shifted focus to undersea assets capable of deep seafloor searches, calling for the specialized capabilities of the CURV-21, which is due to arrive in Argentina in an Air Force C-5 on Dec. 01.
CURV-21 is a 6,400-pound Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that is designed to meet the U.S. Navy's deep ocean salvage requirements down to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet of seawater. The vehicle is equipped with continuous transmission frequency modulation (CTFM) sonar for target detection and a high-resolution digital still camera, black and white, and color television camera.
The U.S. government is working hand in hand with the international community and is providing rapid response capabilities to assist the government of Argentina in its search for the missing submarine.
CURV Fact File:
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4300&tid=50&ct=4
For more information, visit http://www.southcom.mil/Media/Special-Coverage/US-Military-Support-to-Argentina-Submarine-Search/