Objective: The purpose of this research is to identify and prioritize the key equipment indicators for rescue and damage control in order to enhance the safety of Ghadir-class submarines of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.
Methodology: This applied research adopted a descriptive-analytical mixed-methods exploratory design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 9 experts in the subsurface domain (using purposeful and snowball sampling until theoretical saturation) and analysis of technical documents, followed by inductive content analysis. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-made questionnaire (25 Likert-type items) was distributed among 85 operational personnel of Ghadir-class submarines. Content validity was confirmed by experts, and reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha (0.82). Data were analyzed using SPSS software with descriptive statistics, Friedman test, and one-sample chi-square test.
Findings: Qualitative findings identified six main equipment categories (emergency escape and rescue, warning and detection, positioning and emergency communication, port support and rescue vessels, internal engineering improvement,). Quantitative findings showed an overall mean of 4.51 (out of 5) and "very high" importance percentages above 68%. The Friedman test indicated no significant difference among indicators (p > 0.05), suggesting relatively equal importance of all indices. The chi-square test confirmed the research hypothesis.
Conclusion: Integration of findings emphasizes that enhancing the safety of Ghadir-class submarines requires comprehensive development of internal equipment (safe batteries, water ingress sensors, advanced fire suppression) and external equipment (port facilities and rescue vessels). It is recommended to prioritize the procurement of port equipment and lithium-ion safe batteries.