It became fully operational and certified by the US Navy off southern California on August 1, 2006, when Chief Navy Diver Daniel Jackson submerged to 2,000 feet (610 m).
There have been many technological advances in materials since 2006.
Systems were, and are, based on a static or rigid resistance system that had to withstand the pressure at depth. The ADS2000, commercial version is rated to 365m while the Navy version is rated to 610m, these suits were constructed from cast and milled aluminum, thick enough to withstand the depths, the joints were the main failure point of the system.
ADS III and ADS IV, use GRP and composite wrappings for even greater strength. ADS IV combines saturation diving with a more dynamic suit configuration to provide the greater depth and bottom time required for some operations.
The dynamic solution, under development, is far more workable, without simply adding thickness to the shell to withstand the pressure. The military and industry have significant experience in the design of multiple multi-layered structures. Saturation diving certainly extends the depth and bottom time available.
Navies around the world use hardsuits for sub rescue ops for years. The ability to dive and repair subsea telecommunications cables, without bringing the cable to the surface has significant funding.
This should be a wake up call to all countries that signed on to the UNESCO law. Any country that has Spanish shipwrecks in its territorial waters should instantly withdraw their signatory to this law if they don’t want to have Spain try to take it all away from them. Why do you think the US never signed this UNESCO law?
The US never signed because of the Space Shuttle, plain and simple.
In the grand scheme of things, do you really think that any countries really care if Spain lays claim to the sunken ships located in their respective waters? Virtually all will say, okay, this is yours, come and get it, just as the country would expect Spain to do the same for a sunken vessel in Spains waters.
Time to evolve or become a casualty of evolution.
Jolly mon 2nd request, please stop insulting members.
This appears to be far more than the second request, especially when having to edit posts...