In 1967 the Royal Navy identified that a parachute rescue team could be needed to provide assitance to Submarines in difficulty, particularly those Submarines operating in remote areas. The Submarine Parachute Assistance Group (SPAG) was formed using members of staff serving at the Submarine Escape Training Tank (SETT). They are tasked to be able to rapidly deploy a team of people with Escape and Rescue knowledge to provide advice and assistance to the crew of a DISSUB, survivors on the surface and any other rescue forces involved in the rescue effort. The SPAG are trained in water descent parachuting using both round and square static-line parachutes. They are on 6 hours notice to take-off, 24 hours a day, all year round.

They take with them the following equipment:
2 x inflatable boats (MIBs) twin engines, 8 x 25 man inflatable liferafts, Hot and cold rations, First aid equipment, Surface oxygen therapy equipment, Submarine compatible underwater communications, Surface to air communications, GPS navigation equipment, Ship to shore communications.

The SPAG are on call to provide assisstance to any Submarine or major accident at sea. They are able to provide various types of first aid and expertise in their field. Should the Submarine accident happen where surface ships could be in the DISSUB area quickly, SPAG would then be deployed as a SMERAT team. They would be despatched to the ships prior to sailing or by helo or parachute drop to offer on scene rescue forces expert advice and assisstance.

The UK SMASHEX was a Submarine Escape and Rescue exercise. The exercise on the 5th May 2009 allowed the UK submarine escape and rescue authorities, equipment and callout procedures to be tested in extreme and realistic conditions. The objectives for SPAG during the exercise included;

Conduct callout and transfer of SPAG and equipment from SETT to RAF Lyneham
Conduct callout of personnel and stores from 47 Air Dispatch RLC and 47 SF Squadron RAF
Undertake insertion of full SPAG, DISSUB, SMERAT and shore authorities.
Co-ordinate and conduct simulated escape from DISSUB.
Carry out triage and pre hospital treatment of escapees.
Co-ordinate and conduct medical evacuation to Rescue Gear Ship(RGS).

The UK & Italian SPAG embarked a Chinook Helicoptor from Fort Blockhouse and travelled to RAF Lyneham where they boarded a C130 RAF Hercules aircraft.

The UK & Italian SPAG insert at the datum point of the DISSUB.

Once in the water the SPAG team would rig the Medium Inflatable Boats(MIB) dropped by the C130, these would then be used to recover escapees from the water as they arrive on the surface from the DISSUB.

When the escapee has been recovered from the water they would be medically graded and then continually monitored, any escapees that may have suffered any form of decompression illness would be administered oxygen and provided with fluids by Diver Medical Technicians that form part of the SPAG team.

A Triage village is developed using 25 man liferafts and escapees would be placed in the allocated liferafts depending on the severity of their injuries.

The escapees would then be transferred to ships containing Recompression Chambers and furthur medical therapy.

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