Indonesia's Basarnas Buys SMD Atom ROV

To enable deeper dives on underwater missions, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, Basarnas, has recently purchased a Hydraulic Atom ROV from UK company Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD).

In a governmental first, the ROV has been acquired to support the organisation’s rescue teams reach deeper waters. Where divers were previously limited to 100 metres maximum, SMD’s equipment will be used to facilitate rescue missions at 1,000 metre depths. Following a trial of the Atom ROV, the aim is that more vehicles will be purchased to help improve water safety in Indonesia.

The deal was facilitated by independent agent, PT Kindah Abadi Utama.

Speaking of the partnership, Head of Search and Rescue at Basarnas, Marsdya TNH Henri Alfiandi, said: “We explored lots of options when seeking the right vehicle to aid our lifesaving search and rescue missions. We knew that we needed a technical solution, and when speaking to SMD, it became clear that the Atom ROV was exactly that.

“We value the vehicle for its compact and flexible design, engineered without compromising power. We hope that SMD’s ROV will greatly aid our missions, helping us to improve water safety across Indonesia.”

Discussing the new contract win, John McCann, business development manager at SMD, said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Basarnas on this project and supplied them with our signature Atom ROV.

“I am confident that their investment in SMD’s cutting-edge technology will support the amazing work of the Indonesian government with regards to water safety.

“Our Atom ROV is the most compact work-class ROV on the market. It has the power to conduct a demanding search and rescue mission, whilst also keeping vessel and mobilisation costs as low as possible.

“Engineered to enable easy fleet management, the Atom is modular in its design and interchangeable with SMD’s other ROV systems. This vehicle also uses our pioneering Curvetech components, which are built to last, fit for purpose and have a strong track record when it comes to performance.”

SMD plans to deliver the Atom ROV to Basarnas in 2024.

SMD Atom ROV. Image courtesy SMD