INS Sindhurakshak (S63)

INS Sindhurakshak (Sanskrit, for protector of the seas) was a Russian-made Kilo-class 877EKM    diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy. Commissioned on 24 December 1997, it was the ninth of the ten Kilo-class submarines in the Indian Navy. On 4 June 2010, the Indian Defence Ministry and Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract worth US$80 million to upgrade and overhaul the submarine. After the overhaul, it returned to India from Russia between May and June 2013.

The submarine suffered a minor fire incident in 2010 and a major one on 14 August 2013, which resulted in its sinking at Mumbai's naval dockyard. At the time of its sinking, there were reportedly 18 crew members on board and all are feared dead.

Construction
Sindhurakshak was constructed at the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Construction of the submarine began in 1995. It was launched in June 1997 and delivered to India in December 1997.

Kargil war (1999)
Sindhurakshak was deployed very close to Karachi, Pakistan during the Kargil War in 1999.

President Kalam (2006)
On 13 February 2006, during the submarine's deployment in Vishakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command, the then President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam became the first Indian head of state to sail in a submarine. He was given a demonstrative excursion, during which the submarine dived and sailed in the Bay of Bengal for a few hours. He was accompanied by the Chief of Naval Staff Arun Prakash. The submarine was commanded by Commander P S Bisht.

Accident (2010)
A fire broke out aboard Sindhurakshak while the vessel was in Visakhapatnam in February 2010. One sailor was killed and two others were injured. Navy officials reported that the fire had been caused by an explosion in the submarine's battery compartment, which occurred due to a faulty battery valve that leaked hydrogen gas.

Upgrades
After the fire damage in 2010, Sindhurakshak was sent to Russia for a two and a half year refit, overhaul and upgrade. In August 2010, Sindhurakshak arrived at the Zvezdochka shipyard in Russia. The submarine was modernised, repaired and retrofitted under Project 08773, and after the upgrade the sea trials started in October 2012. The upgrades included improved electronic warfare systems, an integrated weapon control system and a new cooling system, and were expected to extend the service life of the submarine by ten years. The Club-S (3M54E1 anti-ship and 3M14E land attack) missiles, USHUS sonar, СCS-MK-2 radio communication systems and Porpoise radio-locating radar, and other safety-enhancing features were incorporated. The submarine was handed back to the Indian Navy on 27 January 2013, after which it sailed back to India, under Commander Rajesh Ramkumar. This was the first time an Indian submarine had navigated under ice.

Incident in the Mediterranean
In March 2013, while returning from the refit, Sindhurakshak encountered severe storms in the Mediterranean Sea when it was travelling near Alexandria. This was part of the submarine's extensive three-month long deployment, where it traveled 10,000 miles. The severity of the storms prevented the Alexandria port authorities from sending a tugboat, and the shallow waters prevented the submarine from diving. An emergency call was placed via the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to the Egyptian Navy, which sent its latest tugboats and towed the submarine to Port Said.

Explosion and sinking (2013)
On 14 August 2013, the Sindhurakshak sank after explosions caused by a fire on board when the submarine was berthed at Mumbai. The fire, followed by a series of ordnance blasts on the armed submarine, occurred shortly after midnight. The fire was put out within two hours. It is unclear exactly what caused the fire. Due to damage from the explosions, the submarine sank and was partially submerged in 15 metres deep water at its berth, with only a portion of the sail visible above the water surface. Three sailors on board reportedly jumped off to safety. Navy divers were also brought in as there was a possibility that 18 personnel were trapped inside. Defence Minister A. K. Antony confirmed that there were fatalities. Other sources state that a small explosion occurred around midnight which then triggered the two larger explosions.

Due to the explosion, the front section of the submarine was twisted, bent and crumpled, and water had entered the forward compartment. Another submarine, INS Sindhughosh (S55) was berthed very close to Sindhurakshak due to the congested Mumbai naval dockyard; and sustained minor fire damage, however the navy has not released any details of the extent of damage. Sindhurakshak's double hull was credited with preventing further damage to surrounding vessels. Official sources said it was "highly unlikely" the submarine could be returned to service. The navy plans to begin salvage operations after the rescue operation is completed. As of August 19, seven bodies have been recovered, 11 were still missing. A Board of Inquiry, set up by the navy, was expected to present a report on the cause of the disaster by mid-September. On August 31, six of the eleven recovered bodies were identified and sent home for last rites with military honors.

As of 25 September 2013, six weeks after the incident, the navy's Board of Inquiry (BOI) has not submitted the probe report. Global tenders to salvage the submarine are expected to be issued soon. According to news sources, the complete incident report would only be submitted after the submarine is salvaged, which may take six more months. The preliminary report indicated that "an accident or inadvertent mishandling of ammunition" was the cause of the explosions.

Images

 * INS Sindhurakshak sunk at berth
 * Rescue operation being carried out
 * Defence minister A K Antony (second from left) with Chief of Naval Staff D K Doshi (in uniform)