NEW DELHI – Indian navy managed to put 1st nuclear-missile submarine, $3bln INS Arihant, out of commission in the most boneheaded way possible:allowing water to flood to sub’s propulsion compartment after failing tosecure one of the vessel’s external hatches.
The nationalinterset.orglinkreportedthat water “rushed in as a hatch on the rear side was left open by mistakewhile [the Arihant] was at harbor” in February 2017, shortly after thesubmarine’s launch, The Hindu reports. Since then, the sub “has beenundergoing repairs and clean up,” according to the paper: “Besides otherrepair work, many pipes had to be cut open and replaced.”
The incident is also quite an embarrassment — and strategic concern — forthe Indian Armed Forces.
Read Top Stories
A Russian Akula-class attack sub modified to accommodate a variety ofballistic missiles, the Arihant represented a major advance in India’snuclear triad after its completion in October 2016. (India in 1974 becamethe 6th country to conduct a successful nuclear test.)
