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The loss of 18 gallant sailors of the Indian Navy in the accident of INS Sindhurakshak underlines the necessity for acquisition of a Submarine Rescue System for the Navy. With 13 submarines afloat 9 of which are of Kilo class vintage, despite the upgrade that has been undertaken a mishap at the seas and particularly underwater cannot be wished away. Lack of submarine rescue system is a glaring deficiency that India Navy cannot afford to remain oblivious particularly when it will be acquiring a fleet over the next decade and half of over15 submarines including three nuclear powered vessels which will potentially carry atomic weapons.
What are the options for such a system?
There are two techniques that may be used one is to use a tethered chamber that is lowered to the disabled submarine or use of a deep submergence rescue vehicle, or DSRV. The U.S. Navy uses the tethered method using the Submarine Rescue Diving Recompression System, or SRDRS. The Indian Navy has an agreement with the United States Navy in case of similar accident in the high sea, to rescue stranded sailors on board. However for an accident in the dock as in the present case this is not available.
In addition countries as Singapore have developed indigenous capability. Thus a contract to develop this capability was awarded to First Response Marine Pte Ltd (FRM) in January 2007 via a 20-year public–Private Partnership. FRM designed and build the capability. This was created through the Submarine Support and Rescue Vessel (SSRV) that is operated by the Singapore Navy. It was built by ST Marine, a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering). The rescue system includes a Submarine Rescue Vehicle (SRV) and a Submarine Support and Rescue Vessel (SSRV).
While the submarine accident with INS Sindhurakshak has been unique in that there have been major explosions in the same resulting in possible decapacitating of the personnel within preventing the possibility of a standard submarine rescue procedure being adopted, the lack of submarine rescue facility in the country should draw attention to investments in this sphere and not merely depending on the United States or any other country to provide this facility.
This Article first appeared on Security Risks and is reposted here under a Creative Commons license.