Pisces class DSV
Encyclopedia
Pisces class submersibles are three person research deep-submergence vehicles designed and built by Hyco International Hydrodynamics of North Vancouver in British Columbia
with a maximum operating depth of 2,000 m (6,560 ft). The vehicles have multiple view ports, sample collecting, environmental sensing, and instrument placement capabilities. The pressure hull has an 7 ft (2.1 m) inside diameter and is made of HY-100 steel
with 3 forward-looking acrylic
windows, 6 in (15.2 cm) in diameter. Designed by Alan Trice, the Pisces series of submersibles are representative of early manned submersibles built in the late 1960s and were proven workhorses in offshore exploration and oceanographic research
. Pisces II was the first production model of the design and was completed in 1968, with 9 more Pisces subs built before the manufacturer folded in the late 1970s.
and Pisces V
are currently operated for research by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
, based in Hawaii. Its mother ship, the R/V Kaimikai-o-Kanaloa launches Pisces V and its sister vessel Pisces IV from an A-frame hoist on its aft deck.
Pisces IV, was built for the Soviet Union
in 1971, but due to national security
concerns
from the United States
that sensitive technology might be transferred to the Soviets, Canadian Government refused to issue the export permit and instead purchased it for its Department of Fisheries and Oceans
. Both Pisces IV and V are currently operated by the Hawaii Underwater Research Laboratory, part of the US National Undersea Research Program
. The second Pisces is kept on board in a ready state in case of an emergency.
of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR for about 10 years, until being replaced by the MIR submersibles
.
Akademik Kurchatov, Dmitri Mendeleyev, and Akademik Mstislav Keldysh
served as their support ships.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
with a maximum operating depth of 2,000 m (6,560 ft). The vehicles have multiple view ports, sample collecting, environmental sensing, and instrument placement capabilities. The pressure hull has an 7 ft (2.1 m) inside diameter and is made of HY-100 steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
with 3 forward-looking acrylic
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
windows, 6 in (15.2 cm) in diameter. Designed by Alan Trice, the Pisces series of submersibles are representative of early manned submersibles built in the late 1960s and were proven workhorses in offshore exploration and oceanographic research
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
. Pisces II was the first production model of the design and was completed in 1968, with 9 more Pisces subs built before the manufacturer folded in the late 1970s.
Pisces IV and V
Pisces IVPisces IV
Pisces IV is a three-person, battery-powered Deep Submergence Vehicle , with a maximum operating depth of . The craft was built by Hyco International Hydrodynamics in Vancouver, and is currently owned by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...
and Pisces V
Pisces V
Pisces V is a deep-submergence vehicle of the Pisces class built in 1973.Pisces V is type of manned submersible ocean exploration device, powered by battery, and capable of operating to depths of 2000 m , a depth that is optimum for use in the sea waters around the Hawaiian Islands...
are currently operated for research by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
, based in Hawaii. Its mother ship, the R/V Kaimikai-o-Kanaloa launches Pisces V and its sister vessel Pisces IV from an A-frame hoist on its aft deck.
Pisces IV, was built for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1971, but due to national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
concerns
International Traffic in Arms Regulations
International Traffic in Arms Regulations is a set of United States government regulations that control the export and import of defense-related articles and services on the United States Munitions List...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that sensitive technology might be transferred to the Soviets, Canadian Government refused to issue the export permit and instead purchased it for its Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
. Both Pisces IV and V are currently operated by the Hawaii Underwater Research Laboratory, part of the US National Undersea Research Program
National Undersea Research Program
The National Underwater Research Program is a U.S. government program that operates six facilities for undersea research, including the world's only permanent undersea research facility, Aquarius. The program is operated under the auspices of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, a...
. The second Pisces is kept on board in a ready state in case of an emergency.
Pisces VII and IX
Pisces VII and Pisces IX were built in 1975 and used by Shirshov Institute of OceanologyShirshov Institute of Oceanology
Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Moscow, is the largest institute for ocean and earth science research, in Russia, established in 1946.- Fleet :* RV Akademik Ioffe...
of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR for about 10 years, until being replaced by the MIR submersibles
MIR (submersible)
Mir is a self-propelled Deep Submergence Vehicle. The project was initially developed by the USSR Academy of Sciences along with Design Bureau Lazurith. Later two vehicles were ordered from Finland...
.
Akademik Kurchatov, Dmitri Mendeleyev, and Akademik Mstislav Keldysh
Akademik Mstislav Keldysh
The R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh is a 6,240 ton Russian scientific research vessel. It is best known as the support vessel of the Mir submersibles. The vessel has made over 50 voyages, is owned by the Moscow-based Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Science and is...
served as their support ships.
Production
| DSV | Completed | Depth | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|
| PISCES I | 1965 | 1,200 | 2 |
| PISCES II | 1968 | 2,600 | 3 |
| PISCES III | 1969 | 3,600 | 3 |
| PISCES IV Pisces IV Pisces IV is a three-person, battery-powered Deep Submergence Vehicle , with a maximum operating depth of . The craft was built by Hyco International Hydrodynamics in Vancouver, and is currently owned by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric... |
1971 | 6500 | 3 |
| PISCES V Pisces V Pisces V is a deep-submergence vehicle of the Pisces class built in 1973.Pisces V is type of manned submersible ocean exploration device, powered by battery, and capable of operating to depths of 2000 m , a depth that is optimum for use in the sea waters around the Hawaiian Islands... |
1973 | 6500 | 3 |
| PISCES VI-XI | 1975 | 6500 | 3 |
Current status of vehicles
- Pisces II is currently on display at Deep Marine, a maritime museum highlighting the deep-sea technology legacy of Hyco at Deep Marine, located at the old Versatile Pacific ShipyardsBurrard Dry DockBurrard Dry Dock Ltd. was a Canadian shipbuilding company headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia . Together with the neighboring North Van Ship Repair yard and the Yarrows Ltd...
site on the waterfront at Esplanade and Lonsdale, in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Pisces III is on display at Weymouth Sea Life Centre, Dorset United Kingdom.
- Both Pisces IV and V have undergone recent upgrades and are operated by the Hawai‘i Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL), NOAA’s Undersea Research Center at the University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology.
- Of the two Russian-owned submersibles, Pisces VII and XI, one is in a museum (an old research ship) in KaliningradKaliningradKaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
, the other is kept in storage, with some of its parts used as spare parts for the MIR submersibles.