Improbable Navy Submarine Seen In Caspian Sea

A video has surfaced showing an unusual submarine being used by the Azerbaijani State Border Service. The two submersibles, together with two Iguana-Pro amphibious boats, are shown operating from the working deck of a Multi-Purpose Offshore Vessel. The ship appears to be TURKAN, an Offshore Tug/Supply Ship (IMO: 9416460, MMSI: 423477100) registered in Azerbaijan.

The story was run by Milli.az (in Azerbaijani) in September and has recently been picked up on Twitter.

Azerbaijan has extensive offshore infrastructure including platforms. The use of generally similar submersibles in oil and gas exploration is not unheard of. However their application for border guards or navies is less clear. They are not equipped with weapons, cannot transport divers and have limited sensor or observation capabilities. And they are optimized for deep up-down trips more than long range missions. Maximum speed is only about 3 knots.

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Ocean Pearl 2 Specifications
Length 4.67 m (184")
Width 2.67 m (105")
Height 2.31 m (91")
Dry Weight 3250Kg – 5000Kg (7165-11,000lb)
Cabin Payload 227 Kg (500 lb)
Crew: 2
Speed: 3 knots max
Endurance: 6 hours
Propulsion: Brushless DC Electric motors, 2 thrusters

Earlier this year SeaMagine started sea trials for two Ocean Pearl 2 submersibles for the US Navy. These vessels appear identical to the Azerbaijani examples.

Image of US Navy Sea Peral 2 submersible during sea trials, from SeaMagine promotional video

This type of submarine is popular among mega yacht owners for recreational purposes. It is possible (but unconfirmed) that these two submersibles entered the country for this purpose. Or for tourism. Previously Azeri businessmen have gifted similar submarines to the government:

In 2017 Azerbaijani oligarch and shipping magnate Mubariz Mansimov was reported to have donated this Deep Flight 'Super Falcon' minisub to the Azerbaijan government. He'd purchased it in 2015. Source Fit.az

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