New Delhi: The loss of the INS Sindhurakshak, which was commissioned on 24 December 1997, was a big blow for the Indian Navy. It was the ninth of the ten Kilo-class submarines in the Navy.
In June 2010, the Government of India and Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract worth USS 80 million to upgrade and overhaul the submarine. The submarine was returned to India from Russia between in May 2013.
The Tragedy
An explosion resulting in a major fire took place on board INS Sindhurakshak on August 14 last year. Due to unknown damage suffered after the explosion, which Indian Navy said took place in the forward section of the Kilo class which was hosing torpedoes and missiles, the submarine submerged.
Eighteen persons were on board at the time of the incident. The tragedy claimed all 18 lives including three officers. Naval divers clocked around 1,500 hours of operations since the accident in order to recover the bodies.
The front section of the Sindhurakshak was twisted, bent and crumpled and water had entered the forward compartment.
The submarine had cost USD 113 million when it was inducted in December 1997.
The vessel was the Navy's most modern submarine.
The submarine was deployed very close to Karachi during the Kargil War in 1999.
In February 2006, the then President APJ Abdul Kalam became first Indian head of the state to sail in the Sindhurakshak.
