Rashid Mahmood
MILITARY PROFESSIONAL
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The submariners around the world were yet again taken to surprise when an Indian naval spokesperson termed the incident as minor. The original Russian manufacturers of the Kilo-Class submarines were confident that their technology and metallurgy was second to none. After having gone through a string of analyses, these professionals have concluded that Indian intransigence in replacing the Russian batteries with its own locally manufactured batteries on the Kilo-Class submarines have actually led to various fire incidents in battery compartments after every refit. The Indians, however, insist that their locally manufactured batteries are good enough to replace the Russian batteries.
With over ambitious expansionist goals to rule the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy is used to bypassing the critical systems to make their platforms operate at sea. Defense analysts believe that reasons behind so many accidents on board submarines are many. The demands for showing India as a major sea power in the region force operational commanders to compromise on safeties. Analysts also opine that submarine crews are not being afforded rotational deployments and often subjected to small stints on different types of submarines, making them jacks of all trades and masters of none. They are pulled out for posting on different submarines without ensuring that the officer being posted out had grasped enough experience on his last deployment to become a dependable part of the submarine crew.
The Indian Navy’s submarine upgrading programme has been marred with procurement delays, compromises on the quality and training since India went into Russian fold for purchasing the Russian submarines.
Also it has been reported that there is a practice to remove and replace some vital operational parts from a non-operational submarine to make other available submarines proceeding to sea. There have also been long delays in purchasing operational parts from Russia in time.
It was therefore no surprise when Indian Navy chief resigned over the accident. The Indian defense minister had on more than one occasion conveyed the government’s concern to the field commanders over increasing number of accidents. The Indian government accepted the Naval chief’s resignation immediately saying that the chief had taken personal responsibility over the string of naval accidents that occurred during his stewardship.
Notwithstanding the naval chief’s resignation, experts opine that it is the Indian political leadership in pursuit of its expansionist designs that forces its armed forces to take risks which otherwise are permitted as per the SOPs. There is a rising tendency among the young submariners to bypass safeties on critical operational systems without letting them known to their seniors for fear of bad reports.
With poor record of fatal regular incidents on board Indian naval platforms, international experts are vary of the Indian designs to nuclearise its navy. They opine that in pursuit of dominant role at sea, the Indian naval leadership will be forced to take operational risks and compromise on human tragedies.
Imagine some incident on board one of India’s nuclear submarines either at sea or in harbour and how devastating that would be.
With Russians still not ready to let the Indians operate nuclear submarine at sea at their own, speaks volumes of Indian nuclear submariners’ competencies. The Russians personally operate key operational systems whenever the nuclear submarine departs Indian harbour.
With over ambitious expansionist goals to rule the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy is used to bypassing the critical systems to make their platforms operate at sea. Defense analysts believe that reasons behind so many accidents on board submarines are many. The demands for showing India as a major sea power in the region force operational commanders to compromise on safeties. Analysts also opine that submarine crews are not being afforded rotational deployments and often subjected to small stints on different types of submarines, making them jacks of all trades and masters of none. They are pulled out for posting on different submarines without ensuring that the officer being posted out had grasped enough experience on his last deployment to become a dependable part of the submarine crew.
The Indian Navy’s submarine upgrading programme has been marred with procurement delays, compromises on the quality and training since India went into Russian fold for purchasing the Russian submarines.
Also it has been reported that there is a practice to remove and replace some vital operational parts from a non-operational submarine to make other available submarines proceeding to sea. There have also been long delays in purchasing operational parts from Russia in time.
It was therefore no surprise when Indian Navy chief resigned over the accident. The Indian defense minister had on more than one occasion conveyed the government’s concern to the field commanders over increasing number of accidents. The Indian government accepted the Naval chief’s resignation immediately saying that the chief had taken personal responsibility over the string of naval accidents that occurred during his stewardship.
Notwithstanding the naval chief’s resignation, experts opine that it is the Indian political leadership in pursuit of its expansionist designs that forces its armed forces to take risks which otherwise are permitted as per the SOPs. There is a rising tendency among the young submariners to bypass safeties on critical operational systems without letting them known to their seniors for fear of bad reports.
With poor record of fatal regular incidents on board Indian naval platforms, international experts are vary of the Indian designs to nuclearise its navy. They opine that in pursuit of dominant role at sea, the Indian naval leadership will be forced to take operational risks and compromise on human tragedies.
Imagine some incident on board one of India’s nuclear submarines either at sea or in harbour and how devastating that would be.
With Russians still not ready to let the Indians operate nuclear submarine at sea at their own, speaks volumes of Indian nuclear submariners’ competencies. The Russians personally operate key operational systems whenever the nuclear submarine departs Indian harbour.