INS Sindhughosh (S55)
Encyclopedia
INS Sindhughosh (S55) is the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class of diesel-electric submarines
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
of the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
.
The submarine was commissioned in April 1986 in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. This submarine is diesel-powered and has totally six motors. INS Sindhughosh was the first submarine in Indian Navy to be equipped with the Klub ZM-54E SS-N-27 antiship cruise missiles with a range of 220 km. The submarine has a displacement of nearly 3,100 tons when dived, a maximum diving depth of 300 meters, speed of up to 17 knots (33.3 km/h), and are able to operate solo for 45 days with a crew of 52.
Collision with a foreign vessel
INS Sindhughosh collided with a foreign merchant vessel - MV Leeds Castle - while trying to surface in the seas north of MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
on 7 January 2008. The submarine was taking part in fleet level war games, when the accident occurred. The boat has reportedly suffered slight damage to the conning tower area. Naval officials said the submarine was submerged and had its radars off and periscope down when it slammed into the merchant vessel off India's Diu island
Diu Island
Diu दिऊ دئو is a city in Diu district in the union territory of Daman and Diu, India. It was the location of the pivotal Battle of Diu in 1509 between Portugal and a combined force of Turkey, Egypt, Venice, the Republic of Ragusa and the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada.The town of Diu lies at...
, 400 nautical miles (740.8 km) from Mumbai. The boat was apparently maintaining total radio and radar silence to escape detection, when the accident took place. It has also been reported that the indigenously developed USHUS sonar malfunctioned and played a direct role in the accident. A Navy officer, on condition of anonymity, stated that the MV Leeds Castle was in restricted waters and in that area the ocean depth is not great and thus the reason for the mishap. Other naval officials expressed surprise that how in the high seas, the submarine was cruising at only at a depth of 10 to 20 feet (6.1 m). The submarine has since been towed to a naval dockyard at Mumbai and a a Board of Inquiry has been ordered to probe the mishap.
The crew of INS Sindhughosh had a miraculous escape as the accident was caused at surface level. The reports of structural damage is a cause of concern. Normally the submarine has two hulls. But any damage to structure means checking the entire review of the whole structure. Even if one steel bar has a weakness, the submarine will face adverse conditions at 250 meters below sea level.