Designed to assist submariners needing to escape rapidly from a distressed submarine in high sea states, the IFE improves safety during abandonment in poor weather by preventing sea water ingress through the hatches.

No modification is required to the existing trunk or hatch opening to retro-fit the IFE, making it suitable for use across a wide range of existing submarine types.

All IFE options are inflated by the operation of a single valve on a panel outside the escape tower to enable fast and simple operation during pre-abandonment. Once inflated the tower forms a rigid freeboard structure sealing the escape hatch and preventing sea-water ingress.

The IFE is inflated either by air taken directly from the host submarine gas supply or via a separately stowed charged gas cylinder, enabling fast, even and controlled inflation of the IFE in a series of stages. Deflation is the reverse of this procedure and once fully deflated, the IFE secures itself in place ready for immediate re-use.