
DATE=8/14/2000 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=SUBMARINE RESCUE (S-O) NUMBER=2-265455 BYLINE=JIM RANDLE DATELINE=DEFENSE DEPARTMENT INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Pentagon Officials say they have special underwater rescue vehicles but have not been asked to help the stricken Russian submarine missing in the Barents Sea. V-O-A's Jim Randle reports. TEXT: The U-S Navy's rescue vehicle is called a D-S- R-V. It is designed to dive deep and attach itself to a sunken submarine, allowing survivors to crawl through a special hatch to safety. A Pentagon spokesman says any rescue request would likely be considered carefully. But he says the Russian submarine may be too far away to reach in time and its rescue hatch may not be compatible with the American vehicle. The missing Russian submarine is a relatively modern vessel, designed to hunt down U-S aircraft carriers with cruise missiles and torpedoes. It is capable of firing nuclear weapons and has a crew of 107. (Signed) NEB/JR/ENE-T/FC 14-Aug-2000 15:46 PM EDT (14-Aug-2000 1946 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .