Scorpio ROV The Scorpio ( Submersible Craft for Ocean Repair , Position , Inspection and Observation ) is a brand of underwater submersible Remotely Operated Vehicle ( ROV ) manufactured by Perry Tritech used by sub - sea industries such as the oil industry for general operations , and by the Royal Navy and the United States Navy for submarine rescue services . Originally developed by AMETEK Straza of El Cajon , United States , they were subsequently developed by Perry Tritech . Although the design of the original Scorpio is over several decades old , it forms the basis for a current generation of Scorpio - branded ROVs . Scorpio ROVs are named in a sequence following the order of manufacture , such as " Scorpio 17 " or " Scorpio 45 " which refer to specific ROVs . Scorpio 45 . The UK operates a Scorpio 45 , based at the UK ’ s Submarine Rescue Service headquarters in Renfrew near Glasgow . It carries three remote cameras , two manipulator arms ( including cutting equipment ) , two sonar devices and six 250 Watt lights . It is operated by James Fisher Rumic Ltd , who provide the underwater rescue service to the UK MoD who own the vehicle . The vehicle is deployed along with a control room , built into a standard shipping container . Super Scorpio . Delivered to the U . S . Navy in 1987 , the Super Scorpio is a " Tethered Unmanned Work Vehicle System " . The vehicles are used for the recovery of sunken military and commercial hardware . They feature two cameras , a sonar , six lights and two robotic arms . The arms can cut steel cable up to one inch ( 2 . 5 cm ) thick and lift up to 250 pounds ( 113 kg ) each . The sonar has a range of 2 , 000 feet ( 610 m ) . Projects . " Kursk " rescue attempt . Scorpio vehicles were sent to assist in the rescue of the " Kursk " , a Russian Oscar II class submarine which sank on 12 August 2000 . Unfortunately , they were unable to save any of the 118 crew . SEALAB habitat . In 2002 , High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network researchers conducted an expedition to locate the SEALAB II / III habitat located off the Scripps pier in La Jolla , California . Researchers utilized a Scorpio ROV from the MV " Kellie Chouest " to find the site and were able to conduct a live multicast from ship to shore . This expedition was the first return to the site since the habitat was moved . " Priz ( AS - 28 ) " submersible rescue . Both the UK and U . S . sent Scorpio vehicles to the location of a Russia n Priz class submersible AS - 28 trapped on the sea floor off the Kamchatka Peninsula on 5 August 2005 . The UK vehicle flew on a C - 17 to the incident with a team of 28 including police officers , civilian operators and one member of the Royal Navy , Commander Ian Riches . Two U . S . vehicles and 40 support personnel were sent from Naval Air Station North Island , near San Diego , via a C - 5 Galaxy transport to Kamchatka . Both the UK and U . S . equipment and teams were transported by Russian surface ships to the accident scene . The British Scorpio managed to free the trapped AS - 28 on August 7 , 2005 , allowing the Russian submersible to surface and saving all seven crew members on board . The American ROVs arrived two hours after the British crew and assisted them .