Order "For Marine Merit".

[Laurent]

Five members of a British submarine rescue team were presented with awards by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin in recognition of their life saving role in the rescue of AS28 Prize, a stricken Russian Submersible.

At a ceremony at Number 10 Downing Street at midday on 5 October 2005, Commander Ian Riches of the Royal Navy, leader of the Submarine rescue team and Stuart Gold and Peter Nuttall of James Fisher Rumic Ltd, operators of the remotely operated vessel instrumental in the rescue, were awarded the Order for Maritime Services for their part in the dramatic rescue on Friday 5 August 2005.

President Putin also awarded the Order of Friendship to Captain Jonathan Holloway, the British Naval Attache in Moscow and Sqn Ldr Keith Hewitt, the RAF C17 aircraft Captain who flew the rescue mission out. Both men were crucial in getting the rescue team to the stricken Russian crew in time. The crew had limited air supply after becoming trapped in netting and debris in deep water some 205m below the surface, 60 miles off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula (North of Japan).

President Putin awarded the medals to the team for "self-sacrifice and high professionalism". Speaking before he presented the medals, President Putin said: "I have a mission of honour today to present you the government awards of the Russian Federation. I would like to thank you for the work done, for the mission accomplished on the rescue of the Russian seamen. The work was done quickly, at a good professional level, and most importantly it succeeded. In reality you have continued the traditions which have been traditional in the relationship between our two countries for many, many years."

The ceremony, which was hosted by the Prime Minister, was also attended by Adam Ingram, Minister for the Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord, General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, Chief of Defence Logistics, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Air Staff.

Adam Ingram, Minister for Armed Forces said at the ceremony today: "This is another example of the professionalism, flexibility and teamwork demonstrated by our Armed Forces and the Defence community as a whole. All such operations are incredibly technical and complicated but the preparation and training paid off. We are very pleased that President Putin and the Russian people have recognised the efforts of those directly involved in the rescue, and at the same time all those who contributed to making the mission a success."

Sqn Ldr Keith Hewitt piloted the 99 Sqn C17 transport aircraft which ferried the UK's submarine rescue equipment to Russia. Speaking of the mission, and its aftermath, he said: "I was preparing for a routine flight to Iraq from RAF Brize Norton when the call came in. We were airborne within minutes heading for Scotland and started working on the flight plan in the air. Just to go to No 10 was surreal, but to meet President Putin and receive a medal from him was just unbelievable. I think I must be the only serving RAF officer with a Russian medal. I feel I have accepted this medal on behalf of all the RAF units and personnel who all dropped everything to contribute to helping save the lives of those seven Russian submariners."