Sinking of INS Sindhurakshak

[Imran Khan]

its totally gone....

its that ????????????

 

[Alienware]

Sub Fire A Major Setback for Indian Navy

NEW DELHI — In a major setback to the Indian Navy’s already depleted submarine strength, a Russian-made kilo-class submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, caught fire at the naval dockyard in Mumbai at midnight Aug. 13 and partially sank, with all 18 crew members declared dead.

Another kilo-class sub, INS Sindhuratna, also was damaged in the fire.

INS Sindhurakshak was prepared for patrol at the time of the fire and was fully loaded with weapons, including torpedoes and cruise missiles, said Navy sources.

Navy officials said the submarine caught fire following explosions but the cause of the explosion is not known. A Defence Ministry source said it seems standard operating procedures may not have been followed. A board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire.

The Navy source said the submarine has been badly damaged and is likely lost.

In 2010, there were explosions in the same submarine when it was docked at Visakhapatnam, killing one crew member. An investigation cited a faulty battery valve that leaked hydrogen. The submarine sailed to Russia for refit.

In 2008, another Russian-made kilo-class sub, INS Sindhugosh, collided with a merchant vessel off Mumbai while participating in a naval exercise.

The damage to Sindhurakshak and the second submarine docked alongside has left the Navy with only 11 operational subs.

With decommissionings planned in coming years of aging German HDW-class submarines, the Navy’s submarine fleet could fall to as few as seven, the Navy source added.

The Navy operated 21 submarines in the 1980s. Today, the Chinese sub fleet exceeds 60 vessels and is a point of major concern to the Indian Navy, said an Indian Navy official.

Meanwhile, French-made Scorpene submarines that will be license-produced at Mazagon Docks are nearly 36 months behind schedule and the MoD has yet to float a global tender for the purchase of six conventional submarines with air independent propulsion technology. This project was cleared in late 2010 but no decision has been made whether private sector shipyards will be allowed to participate in the $12 billion tender.

Prior to the Sindhurakshak fire, only 50 percent of the 10 kilo-class submarines in the fleet were fully operational, added the Navy official.

Sindhurakshak Upgrade

The 2010 Sindhurakshak upgrade involved a complete overhaul of the submarine, including the hull structures, as well as improved control systems, sonar, electronic warfare systems, and an integrated weapon control system and installation of Klub missiles.

Indian Dockyards

Indian Navy dockyards do not have adequate repair facilities for submarines, and major refits of kilo subs have to be done in Russia. The poor repair facilities even hamper day-to-day repairs, said the Navy source.

Sub Fire A Major Setback for Indian Navy | Defense News | defensenews.com

The Indian Navy is indeed in bad shape. It is incapable of fighting a drawn out war because it cannot support its own submarine fleet. During wartime the Indian Navy cannot rely on sending its submarines all the way to Russia for repairs and maintenance!

 

[rpg7]

who know the exact reason?

 

[kaykay]

who know the exact reason?

blast inside the weapon compartment.

 

[rpg7]

blast inside the weapon compartment.

what the reason of blast inside the compartment?
i am soo sad!

 

[SirHatesALot]

Navy should learn from this incident and move all subs out of Mumbai,its overcrowded as hell.

 

[Imran Khan]

Navy should learn from this incident and move all subs out of Mumbai,its overcrowded as hell.

what crowd has to do with faulty submarine batteries ?

 

[SirHatesALot]

what the reason of blast inside the compartment?
i am soo sad!

Probably due to electric fire one cant say for sure have to wait for the official inquiry to come up with their assessment.

what crowd has to do with faulty submarine batteries ?

Not particularly related to this incident but Mumbai naval base is working way over its capacity.

 

[Imran Khan]

Probably due to electric fire one cant say for sure have to wait for the official inquiry to come up with their assessment.



Not particularly related to this incident but Mumbai naval base is working way over its capacity.

same here karachi naval air station

 

[SirHatesALot]

same here karachi naval air station

Which is disaster in the making,i don't know about Pakistani dockyards or bases but professional workmanship seems to be lacking this particular base.

 

[Imran Khan]

Which is disaster in the making,i don't know about Pakistani dockyards or bases but professional workmanship seems to be lacking this particular base.

abut naval fleet i have no problem PN use pasni jewwani ormara gawader naval bases and keep subs and surface fleet there divided and they have big open dockyards even if they rise fleet 100% there is no problem of docks . only air arm is sticking middle of city which i don't liek at all.

 

[Black Eagle 90]

its totally gone....

Dear Sir, Can you be able to share some more pictures with us. We are all looking in to it seriously.

Senior members please elaborate more on IN acquiring;
6 Amur SSKs directly from Russia
6 U-214 SSKs directly from Germany

Also what about 6 Scorpion SSKs???

 

[Black Eagle 90]

Will it be acquired from MDL-India or DCNS-France???

 

[anant_s]

Nothing much is known as of now, however there are some news in media that there is a possible mishap while loading ammunition (possibly torpedos). Navy has initiated a court of inquiry and we sincerly hope it comes out with correct findings.
in another depressing deveopment, 4 badly burnt bodies have been recovered and as the thnigs stand now, unfortunately there is no hope for any survivors.

 

[VelocuR]

Indian navy: 4 bodies recovered from sub rocked by explosions; 14 other sailors probably dead

Indian navy: 4 bodies recovered from sub rocked by explosions; 14 other sailors probably dead - The Washington Post

NEW DELHI — Indian navy divers on Friday recovered four severely burned bodies of sailors who had been trapped inside a submarine damaged by twin explosions, officials said. The navy said it was doubtful that any of the other 14 sailors aboard survived.

Naval spokesman Narendra Vispute told reporters that the condition of the bodies suggested that all 18 sailors aboard were killed in the explosions in the sub’s home port of Mumbai. Three bodies were recovered Friday morning and a fourth was located later in the afternoon, a naval official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to reporters.

“The bodies are severely disfigured and not identifiable due to severe burns,” Vispute said, adding that DNA tests would be used to identify the bodies. “However, the navy will continue to search every inch of the submarine until no bodies remain to be found.

The 16-year-old diesel-powered, Russian-made submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, was rocked by two explosions in the torpedo compartment that sent huge fireballs into the air. The vessel was partially submerged at Mumbai’s naval dock, with a portion visible above the waterline.

Reaching sailors trapped in the crippled, water-filled vessel was made all the more difficult because the heat of the blast melted some hatch doors shut. The navy said there has been no contact from any of the sailors — not even a knock on the hull — since the accident occurred.

A press statement from the navy Friday said that while divers had been working around the clock to reach the compartments of the submarine since the explosions occurred, search efforts were hindered by the “oily and muddy waters inside the submerged submarine resulting in total darkness and nil visibility within the submarine even with high power underwater lamps.”

Twisted metal restricted space in the interior and resulted in search and rescue efforts being “very slow and labored,” allowing only one diver clear access at a time, the statement added.

The same submarine was hit by an explosion in 2010 that killed one sailor and injured two others. The navy said that accident was caused by a faulty battery valve that leaked hydrogen, causing an explosion in the vessel’s battery compartment. There have been no details on what caused this week’s blasts.

The sub recently returned from Russia after a 2½-year refit, overhaul and upgrade and had been certified for use by the Indian navy.

Russian ship repair company Zvyozdochka said the blasts were unrelated to its repair work.

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