US firm RMS Titanic Inc (RMST) has outlined plans using the most advanced technological equipment in order to salvage some of the wreckage from the doomed 1912 ship. Titanic was built in Belfast and set off on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City on April 10, 1912. Five days into its journey, the ship struck as iceberg and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic.
Dozens of expeditions to the wreck have been carried out since it was discovered in 1985.
Documents seen by the Daily Telegraph have revealed the latest plans by the private firms include using underwater robots and remote controlled vehicles.
RMST will deploy a manned submarine down two and a half miles, along with three underwater robots.
Titanic is currently located in international waters about 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The team aims to “surgically” remove the roof of the ship, which it fears has only a few years before it fully caves in, and obtain the Marconi wireless – which sent out the final distress signals.
The report says: “In the next few years, the overhead is expected to collapse, potentially burying forever the remains of the world’s most famous radio.”
RMST says it will collect the primary high priority targets and transport them to a previously prepared subsea basket.
The private firm claims it will be able to restore “Titanic’s voice” if it able to locate the signally equipment.
The document says: “Provided with electrical power and managed by new-manufactured condenser, transformer, regulators and phase-matched antenna, Titanic’s radio – Titanic’s voice – could once again be heard, now and forever.”
Bretton Hunchak, president of RMS Titanic said this is a “careful, surgical operation” in order to “rescue a historically significant item”.
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“We know that the wreck is deteriorating fast. Why would we let these artefacts disappear too?
“Surely we owe it to the future to protect and preserve these items, before it’s too late.”
In order for the project to go ahead it will need to be granted permission after the UK and the US signed a treaty.
The maritime agreement gives the countries the power to grant or deny licences to enter sections of the sunken ship’s hull and remove artefacts.