Indian submarine, cargo ship collide off Pakistan

[fatman17]

Jane's Defence Weekly - January 16, 2008

Indian submarine collides with merchant vessel
Rahul Bedi JDW Correspondent - New Delhi

Key Points
An Indian Navy 'Kilo'-class submarine has collided with a merchant vessel while on exercise in the Arabian Sea


An Indian Navy (IN) Project 877EKM Russian 'Kilo'-class submarine, INS Sindhughosh , has hit a foreign merchant vessel during routine exercises in the Arabian Sea.

The IN made no mention of the 7 January incident until a newspaper in Mumbai, the headquarters of the IN's Western Fleet and the Sindhughosh's base, reported the collision. Then an IN spokesman in New Delhi confirmed that the diesel-powered submarine had been involved in a "mishap" with the MV Leeds some 140 n miles northwest of Mumbai during fleet-level manoeuvres. He played down the accident as "minor" and declined to elaborate.

The spokesman said the Sindhughosh had returned unaided to Mumbai and that all its 53 crew members were safe. However, he was unable to provide details on the damage sustained by the foreign-registered merchant ship, explaining only that the Sindhughosh had sustained "minor damage".

An official inquiry has been ordered as to the causes of the incident.

IN sources said only the fin of the 72.6 m-long submarine, one of the navy's 10 'Kilo'-class boats and one of six equipped with Novator Alfa Klub SS-N-27 (3M-54E1) land-attack cruise missiles, had been damaged.

Senior IN officers indicated that the submarine, weighing 2,325 tons surfaced and 3,076 tons submerged, had been travelling at periscope depth when the accident took place.

By military convention no submarine publicises its area of operation, making it responsible for its own and other vessels safety at sea.

The 7 January accident is the second involving an IN submarine in recent years.

The previous incident occurred three years earlier when a submarine sank a dhow off Mumbai's coast while surfacing. Soon after, in April 2006, an IN missile patrol boat sank in the Arabian Sea after colliding with a container carrier 25 n miles off the coast of Goa.

© 2008 Jane's Information Group

 

[KENT]

Jane's Defence Weekly - January 16, 2008

Indian submarine collides with merchant vessel
Rahul Bedi JDW Correspondent - New Delhi

Key Points
An Indian Navy 'Kilo'-class submarine has collided with a merchant vessel while on exercise in the Arabian Sea


An Indian Navy (IN) Project 877EKM Russian 'Kilo'-class submarine, INS Sindhughosh , has hit a foreign merchant vessel during routine exercises in the Arabian Sea.

The IN made no mention of the 7 January incident until a newspaper in Mumbai, the headquarters of the IN's Western Fleet and the Sindhughosh's base, reported the collision. Then an IN spokesman in New Delhi confirmed that the diesel-powered submarine had been involved in a "mishap" with the MV Leeds some 140 n miles northwest of Mumbai during fleet-level manoeuvres. He played down the accident as "minor" and declined to elaborate.

The spokesman said the Sindhughosh had returned unaided to Mumbai and that all its 53 crew members were safe. However, he was unable to provide details on the damage sustained by the foreign-registered merchant ship, explaining only that the Sindhughosh had sustained "minor damage".

An official inquiry has been ordered as to the causes of the incident.

IN sources said only the fin of the 72.6 m-long submarine, one of the navy's 10 'Kilo'-class boats and one of six equipped with Novator Alfa Klub SS-N-27 (3M-54E1) land-attack cruise missiles, had been damaged.

Senior IN officers indicated that the submarine, weighing 2,325 tons surfaced and 3,076 tons submerged, had been travelling at periscope depth when the accident took place.

By military convention no submarine publicises its area of operation, making it responsible for its own and other vessels safety at sea.

The 7 January accident is the second involving an IN submarine in recent years.

The previous incident occurred three years earlier when a submarine sank a dhow off Mumbai's coast while surfacing. Soon after, in April 2006, an IN missile patrol boat sank in the Arabian Sea after colliding with a container carrier 25 n miles off the coast of Goa.

© 2008 Jane's Information Group

Oh my god! what an tregedy! just look at the date of this article as "January 16,2008". I think either Jane Defence Weekly or Rahul Bedi are gone maid.

In the very last page of this article, it is mentioned that three years ago submarine accident took place. Could anyone enlighten there memory over this incident? Because so far I hadn't come accorss any of such particuler incident.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Navy perturbed over submarine accident​

Friday January 11 2008 00:16 IST

NEW DELHI: In a freak accident raising concerns about the safety of strategic platforms, a submarine of the Indian navy was damaged after it collided with a merchant vessel off the Mumbai coast earlier this week.

INS Sindhughosh, a Kilo class submarine of Russian origin, was on an exercise when it hit merchant vessel Leeds 140 nautical miles north-west of Mumbai on January 7.

The Navy, which kept the incident under wraps for two days, claimed that the submarine escaped with minor damage. Sources said that only some antennae and other equipment on the outer surface were damaged in the accident. The submarine was moving almost at the surface level. All the 53 personnel onboard the vessel were safe, said officials.

INS Sindhughosh was upgraded around two years ago and forms part of the Navy’s crucial arsenal. The accident raised concerns as the Navy is already finding it difficult to sustain its dwindling fleet of submarines. It uses 10 Kilo class submarines, which form the major chunk of the fleet.

At any given point of time not more than 10 submarines are operational. The Navy has launched investigation into the cause of the accident. It has raised questions about the errors in handling the machine, which would now require some weeks for repair. After the accident, it reached Mumbai on its own without any assistance. The officials have not ruled out that the sonar of the submarine might have malfunctioned.

The court of inquiry, which is already under way, would ascertain the cause of the accident. The naval officers said it was a minor accident but it is being taken seriously so that such incidents can be prevented in the future.

The officials said that this is the second incident involving a submarine in recent years. The earlier accident occurred off Goa when a submarine collided with an unidentified ship while emerging from underwater. The officials said that the Navy cannot afford to lose its vessels in accidents as the force levels are already down. It recently lost a Sea Harrier aircraft in accident at naval aviation base INS Hansa at Dabolim in Goa.

The officials admitted that the INS Sindhughosh accident could have been serious and the sailors had a miraculous escape. The submarine will not take long time to be back in action. The Navy has Russian and German submarines in its fleet. It is yet to get delivery of first of the six French Scorpene submarines it had ordered two years back.

Link:
Navy perturbed over submarine accident - Newindpress.com

More Links for the same event:

Navy submarine suffers damage after collision with vessel -India-The Times of India

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Navy's sea harrier crashes at Goa airport
Rediff News, 24 December 2007

A single-seater sea harrier fighter aircraft of the Indian navy crashed at Dabolim airport in Panaji on Monday, but the pilot managed to bail out safely. The aircraft, on a routine sortie, crashed at 11.15 am, an initial report said, adding that the crash had forced suspension of operations from the airport till 2 pm. The pilot of the aircraft commander Janak Bevli ejected safely, according to a navy spokesman. He said there has been no loss of property in the crash or any casualities on the ground.

http://www.ipcs.org/Dec_07_militaryNavy.pdf

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Half of Sea Harrier fleet gone in 20 years​

Replying to Kumar's application in September, the integrated headquarters of the defence ministry disclosed that, between 1988 and 2007, seven pilots had lost their lives in 16 accidents involving Sea Harriers. The appellate authority, however, declined to share reasons behind these accidents.

Mint independently confirmed, from a report in the military journal, Military Balance, published by London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), that there were only 15 such fighter aircraft left in the Indian Navy's fleet. This was subsequently corroborated by the Navy spokesperson.

When a Sea Harrier naval fighter aircraft crashed, killing its pilot, off the Goa coast in April, it appeared to be another tragic footnote to a string of isolated crashes involving India's fleet of combat aircraft.

Not so, if you connect the dots.

In the last three years, India, has logged at least 30 such accidents involving various fighter aircrafts. But, what was much more revealing about the April 6 crash, which killed Lt Commander Saurabh Tewari, was that it was the 16th Sea Harrier operated by the Navy to have crashed in the last two decades.

If 16 crashes doesn't seem like a big number in 20 years, consider this: these crashes have wiped out half of the Indian Navy's Sea Harrier fleet of 30 aircraft. Seven pilots, among the most elite flyers at the Navy have lost their lives in these crashes. And, every crash has happened during fairly routine sorties, as the Harrier has never seen battle since being inducted in 1983.

The Sea Harrier, known and often bought for its ability to take off vertically or with very short runs, was commissioned in 1983 from manufacturer BAE Systems Plc. The aircraft, which were first deployed on India’s aircraft-carrier INS Viraat and INS Vikrant, were considered ideal because Indian carriers had relatively shorter decks compared to carriers operated by naval forces of other countries.

The unusually high percentage of crashes involving Sea Harriers began coming into focus after Francis Noronha, a Right To Information (RTI) activist and freelance journalist from Goa, noticed the occasional news briefs and started connecting the dots.

Naronha informed Hari Kumar P, a fellow RTI activist, and then filed an RTI application. The Navy, citing national security, rejected the first RTI attempt. But he persisted and eventually succeeded when he moved the appellate authority for the RTI within the defence ministry.

Replying to Kumar's application in September, the integrated headquarters of the defence ministry disclosed that, between 1988 and 2007, seven pilots had lost their lives in 16 accidents involving Sea Harriers. The appellate authority, however, declined to share reasons behind these accidents.

Mint independently confirmed, from a report in the military journal, Military Balance, published by London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), that there were only 15 such fighter aircraft left in the Indian Navy's fleet. This was subsequently corroborated by the Navy spokesperson.

The “Sea Harriers are fully operational and capable of delivering the desired performance in Indian conditions. These aircraft are sustainable in the Indian environment,” the ministry reasoned.

However, Commander Gurinder Khurana, an expert in naval warfare associated with Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis said, “It has to be investigated whether the failure rate is due to human error caused by lack of proper training or whether there are some technical snags.”

Aviation experts and pilots note that the Harriers require a very high level of skill and consequently a low threshold for error at the controls, suggesting the blame for the crashes might lie primarily with the pilots. But, a naval aviator, who did not wish to be identified said, “Harrier pilots are the pick of naval aviators. They have to undergo a tough selection process and for every one that flies, 10 are left on the wayside.”

Link:
International Institute for Strategic Studies - November 26th - - Hindustan Times - Half of Sea Harrier fleet gone in 20 years

 

[fatman17]

Oh my god! what an tregedy! just look at the date of this article as "January 16,2008". I think either Jane Defence Weekly or Rahul Bedi are gone maid.

In the very last page of this article, it is mentioned that three years ago submarine accident took place. Could anyone enlighten there memory over this incident? Because so far I hadn't come accorss any of such particuler incident.

JDW always comes out a week earlier - no real tragedy really! the point is that accidents happen with all military organisations all over the world. dont take it personally man!

 

[KENT]

JDW always comes out a week earlier - no real tragedy really!

Do you know what are you writing about?

If it come week earlier, then it should have posted the article about accident well before the happening of accident, then how does date should be January 16,2008 which is atleast 9 days ahead of accident

the point is that accidents happen with all military organisations all over the world. dont take it personally man!

What makes you think that I have taking the accident personally?
I am more then mature enough to understand every weapon do subject to some degree of vulnerbility.

 

[fatman17]

Do you know what are you writing about?

If it come week earlier, then it should have posted the article about accident well before the happening of accident, then how does date should be January 16,2008 which is atleast 9 days ahead of accident



What makes you think that I have taking the accident personally?
I am more then mature enough to understand every weapon do subject to some degree of vulnerbility.

Good-bye! no use arguing with you!

 

[ejaz007]

Indian submarine collides with merchant vessel
Mumbai | January 10, 2008 7:05:05 PM IST

Indian Navy submarine "INS Sindhughosh" was berthed for repairs Thursday with a damaged fin after colliding with a merchant vessel two days ago while taking part in war games off the Gujarat coast.
All 53 crewmembers of the 72.6 m long submarine were reported safe following the Monday accident with "MV Leads Castle", which is registered in the Cayman Island, a British territory near Cuba.
Military officials did not provide details, but other sources said the collision took place around 12 nautical miles off the Veraval coast near Porbandar.
One of the fins of the submarine, which propels it forward under the sea, got damaged.
The Indian Navy has brought towed the submarine to Mumbai for repairs. The area has been declared out of bounds for everyone barring authorised defence and navy personnel.
The submarine, reportedly equipped with sophisticated anti-ship and anti-land missiles, was acquired in 1986 from Russia, where it was refitted and upgraded last year.
Military sources told IANS that the incident - the second of its kind in 15 years - has shocked the defence establishment. (IANS)


Have a look at this report. It is somewhat different than other stories. Its hard to understand what to believe and what to discredit.
Regards,

 

[ejaz007]

Indian submarine collides with merchant vessel
Mumbai | January 10, 2008 7:05:05 PM IST

Indian Navy submarine "INS Sindhughosh" was berthed for repairs Thursday with a damaged fin after colliding with a merchant vessel two days ago while taking part in war games off the Gujarat coast.
All 53 crewmembers of the 72.6 m long submarine were reported safe following the Monday accident with "MV Leads Castle", which is registered in the Cayman Island, a British territory near Cuba.
Military officials did not provide details, but other sources said the collision took place around 12 nautical miles off the Veraval coast near Porbandar.
One of the fins of the submarine, which propels it forward under the sea, got damaged.
The Indian Navy has brought towed the submarine to Mumbai for repairs. The area has been declared out of bounds for everyone barring authorised defence and navy personnel.
The submarine, reportedly equipped with sophisticated anti-ship and anti-land missiles, was acquired in 1986 from Russia, where it was refitted and upgraded last year.
Military sources told IANS that the incident - the second of its kind in 15 years - has shocked the defence establishment. (IANS)
http://www.netindia123.com/showdeta...ndian+submarine+collides+with+merchant+vessel

Have a look at this report. It is somewhat different than other stories. Its hard to understand what to believe and what to discredit.
Regards,

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

News reports are as good as what one wants to believe and what one wants not to believe.

Each paper has its agenda.

Something like who to believe - Geo TV or PTV!

Choice is entirely left to the one reading/ viewing!

That is what is freedom of press and speech all about!