The Navy’s Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhuratna which underwent a major upgrade in Russia reached Mumbai after sailing for 97 days and almost 10,000 miles with two port calls in between.
The submarine underwent a Medium Refit Life Certification (MRLC) process in Russia which extended its life. However, it faced transportation issues in the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
The initial plan was to move it by a transport dock ship directly from Russia which did not materialise following which the Navy tried to sea transport the submarine to Norway and then via a transport dock to India which also did not materialise. Following this, the Navy decided to sail it directly on its own.
“ INS Sindhuratna, a Sindhughosh class submarine, returned to Mumbai after undergoing major refit at Naval dockyard in Russia. The submarine undertook a gruelling 97 days return passage through the Norwegian Sea, English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea, and arrived Mumbai on May 16,” the Western Naval Command said on Twitter.
“The submarine with its modernised weapon and sensor suite will enhance the force level in the Western Seaboard, opening a new & exciting chapter in submarine operations in Indian Ocean Region,” it added.
The crew was received by Vice-Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command.
On the way, the submarine made port calls in Le Havre, France and Cadiz, Spain.
The Navy has 16 conventional submarines in service. These are seven Russian Kilo-class submarines, four German-origin HDW submarines and five French Scorpene-class submarines.
With delays in induction of submarines, the ageing SSKs - 209s (German HDWs) and EKMs (Russian Kilos) are being put through the MRLC process which will extend their life by 10 to 15 years.
As reported by The Hindu earlier, officials acknowledged that transportation and finding cargo carriers outside the purview of sanctions and their insurance has been a major issue as also insurance and reinsurance.
Of the 10 Kilo-class submarines originally procured from Russia, Sindhurakshak was lost in an accident, Sindhuvir was transferred to Myanmar and Sindhudhvaj was decommissioned in July 2022 after 35 years. Another Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhukirti is currently at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd., Visakhapatnam for normal refit of 22 months.
The Kilo-class submarines have a displacement of 2,300 tonnes, a maximum diving depth of 300 metres and a top speed of 18 knots. They are able to operate solo for 45 days with a crew of over 50.
