New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) The Indian Navy on Thursday deployed a deep submergence rescue vessel to support the Indonesian Navy's hunt for an attack submarine that went missing with 53 people on board.
According to Indonesian authorities, the KRI Nanggala-402, a German-made submarine, went missing during a military exercise around the Bali Strait on Wednesday.
Indian Navy officials said a deep submergence rescue vessel (DSRV) departed from Visakhapatnam to support the Indonesian Navy in its operation to locate the diesel-electric attack submarine.
The Indian Navy sent the DSRV following an alert it received through the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO) about the missing Indonesian submarine.
The submarine was reportedly exercising in a location 25 miles north of Bali.
"Indian Navy dispatched its DSRV on Thursday to assist the Indonesian Navy in search and rescue efforts for the submarine KRI Nanggala," Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
He said India is among a few countries globally which are capable of undertaking search and rescue of a disabled submarine through a DSRV.
Madhwal said Indian Navy's DSRV system can locate a submarine upto 1000 metres in depth utilising its state of the art side scan sonar (SSS) and remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
"After the submarine is successfully located, another sub module of DSRV- the submarine rescue vehicle (SRV) - mates with the submarine to rescue the trapped personnel. The SRV can also be used to provide emergency supplies to the submarine," he said.
Under the framework of comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Indonesia, the two navies share a strong partnership of operational cooperation.
Madhwal said the two navies have been exercising regularly in the past and have developed synergy and interoperability which is considered important for the present mission.
