SMIT Salvage is one of world's largest salvage companies. It helps ships in distress anywhere in the world and at any time, which is why it operates out of four locations: Rotterdam, Houston, Cape Town and Singapore. These ports are strategically positioned near major international shipping routes.
Removing a shipwreck that poses a threat to other ships or rescuing cargo when a ship’s been damaged or sunk requires two things: specialised equipment and a team of experts that are in a state of round-the-clock readiness. When SMIT Salvage asked us a while back to customise a ULD that could transport essential tools to emergencies at sea, we knew that rapid deployment and durability would be major aspects.
When designing the ULD, we had to make sure it:
We decided to develop an AKP container because that can be pre-loaded and transported on most wide-body aircraft. This would reduce critical start-up times. What’s more, the AKP container can operate as underslung equipment if the rescue operation requires tools to be delivered by helicopter. That extra versatility could be crucial in certain rescue missions.
Shipwreck removal operations are challenging at the best of times, so it was important to add features to this bespoke ULD that supported the salvage team. Those features include:
SMIT Salvage has been so delighted with our design that it has just re-ordered another customised AKP containers. We were happy to oblige.
If you’d like to know more about rapid deployment containers, or if you have another specific problem that a custom air cargo product might solve? Visit our express industry product page or contact us directly.