As a statement of excellent technical service, engineers at Oceanvision, Asia Pacific's leading REMOTE CONTROLLED SUBMARINE, survey and support company, have breathed new life into a Panther Plus by totally rebuilding the vehicle, down to the last nut and bolt.

Oceanvision's managing director Ian Johnson says the skills learnt have made Oceanvision a better service company and distributor. 'Stripping, rebuilding and upgrading the ROV from the inside out has given our engineers the opportunity to extend their knowledge and technical competence concerning every aspect of Saab Seaeye vehicles.'

The project came about when Oceanvision's customer, Fugro in Singapore, wanted a 'life extension' of their Saab Seaeye Panther Plus 909, battered from years of rugged use. A team from Oceanvision, Fugro and Saab Seaeye worked together to develop the rebuild programme. Saab Seaeye's Nik Pyle flew to Singapore to help in the evaluation of the project, during which time it was decided that as the boat electronics were still in good condition, it was more economical to refurbish the Panther Plus rather than replace it with a completely new vehicle.