USS Ortolan ASR-22

• USS Ortolan (ASR-22) was a twin-hulled submarine rescue ship of the United States Navy, specifically built to support deep-sea rescue operations for submarines in distress. • The ship was the second US Navy vessel to bear the name Ortolan, named after a small European bird. • Laid down at the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile, Alabama, Ortolan was launched on 10 September 1968 and commissioned on 14 July 1973. • Ortolan was specially designed to carry and operate the DSRV (Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle), a mini-submarine used to rescue crew from disabled submarines. • The twin-hull (catamaran) design provided a stable platform for deep-sea diving and rescue operations, a unique feature among naval support vessels. • USS Ortolan, along with her sister ship USS Pigeon (ASR-21), formed the backbone of the US Navy’s submarine rescue capabilities during the Cold War. • Ortolan participated in numerous submarine rescue exercises and was pivotal in developing and testing submarine escape and rescue techniques used worldwide today. • The ship was equipped with advanced diving and decompression chambers, supporting both manned and unmanned rescue missions. • USS Ortolan was decommissioned on 30 March 1995 after over 20 years of service and was eventually sold for scrap, marking the end of an era for dedicated submarine rescue ships in the US Navy. • A fascinating legacy of the Ortolan is her contribution to the safety protocols and rescue technologies now standard in modern submarine operations, influencing navies around the globe.