If you come across it on the open sea, you will certainly not believe your eyes: R/P FLIP is indeed surprising. It is actually a research platform approximately 110 meters long, which was once used to “study long-range sound propagation in underwater warfare” according to theUC San Diego.
The early youth of R/P FLIP
It could be towed in a horizontal position then, once out to sea, turned around 90°. This position allowed it to resist wave movements and remain stable. It was designed in 1962 by scientists from the Scripps Marine Physics Laboratory and then operated by Scripps Oceanography for the American Navy.
According to the University of California, FLIP had become a real reference. First for the scientific field, because the platform supported research in “geophysics, meteorology, physical oceanography and other scientific fields”.
Direction: scrap
In addition, FLIP had also become a very recognizable element since it became a global curiosity and was the subject of several documentaries, due to its “unique appearance”. However, FLIP was decommissioned in August 2023. It was to be towed and then dismantled in Mexico.
This was without counting the intervention of DEEP, a company which “wishes to develop underwater human habitats”, specifies IFLscience. The company, having learned of the terrible plan that awaited FLIP, decides to intercept it before it is too late. “Our founder's direction was very clear: save it. Don’t come back without her”explains Giulio Maresca, the new captain of FLIP in a press release sent to the media.
Breathing new life into FLIP
It's official: FLIP is therefore saved in extremis scrap metal. The platform is transported from the Panama Canal to Europe. It will be redeveloped and modernized. “We look forward to announcing its launch in early 2026, and I am delighted to confirm that many oceanographic and research groups are already in touch to secure access” said Kristen Tertoole, CEO of DEEP.
Because DEEP intends to breathe new life into FLIP: according to IFLscience, it is possible that the platform will be redeveloped to continue to support research on hydrodynamics and the discovery of the mysteries of the ocean.
“This modernization initiative will significantly expand its ocean science, observation and exploration capabilities, breathing new life into a ship that has been essential to our mission” explains Tom Drake, of the Office of Naval Research, to the media.
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