INS Sindhurakshak (S63)

INS Sindhurakshak in 2013.
History
India
NameINS Sindhurakshak
BuilderAdmiralty Shipyard, Saint Petersburg
Laid down16 February 1995
Launched26 June 1997
Commissioned24 December 1997
Decommissioned6 March 2017[1]
Out of service14 August 2013
IdentificationPennant number: S63
FateSeverely damaged on 14 August 2013 due to on-board explosions; sunk in deep water in Arabian Sea in June 2017
General characteristics
Class and typeSindhughosh-class submarine
Displacement
  • 2,325 t (2,563 short tons) surfaced
  • 3,076 t (3,391 short tons) submerged
Length72.6 m (238 ft)
Beam9.9 m (32 ft)
Draught6.6 m (22 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 × 3,650 hp (2,720 kW) diesel-electric motors
  • 1 × 5,900 hp (4,400 kW) motor
  • 2 × 204 hp (152 kW) auxiliary motors
  • 1 × 130 hp (97 kW) economic speed motor
Speed
  • Surfaced: 10 knots (19 km/h)
  • Snorkel Mode: 9 knots (17 km/h)
  • Submerged: 17 knots (31 km/h)
Range
  • Snorkel Mode: 6,000 mi (9,700 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h)
  • Submerged: 400 miles (640 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h)
EnduranceUp to 45 days with a crew of 52
Test depth
  • Operational depth: 240 m (790 ft)
  • Maximum depth: 300 m (980 ft)
ComplementSeven officers and 61 ratings[2]
Armament
  • 9M36 Strela-3 (SA-N-8) surface-to-air missile
  • 3M-54 Klub-S anti-ship and land-attack missiles
  • Type 53-65 passive wake-homing torpedo
  • TEST 71/76 anti-submarine active-passive homing torpedo
  • 24 × DM-1 mines in lieu of torpedo tube

INS Sindhurakshak (Sanskrit, for Protector of the Seas)[3] was a Russian-made Kilo-class 877EKM[4][5] (Sindhughosh-class) diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy.[6] Commissioned on 24 December 1997, it was the ninth of the ten Kilo-class submarines in the Indian Navy.[7] 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.[8]

The submarine suffered a major fire and explosion on 14 August 2013 and sank at Mumbai's naval dockyard with the death of 18 crew members.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ "Submarine Sindhurakshak to be decommissioned before rains - Times of India". The Times of India. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Sindhughosh Class". Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  3. ^ "18 sailors feared killed in INS Sindhurakshak explosion". Livemint. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  4. ^ "INS Sindhurakshak tragedy: Defence PRO says chances of survivors unlikely". India Today. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  5. ^ "'India should seek Russian help in INS Sindhurakshak rescue': Defence experts". Business Standard. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Sindhughosh Class - Active submarines of the Indian Navy". Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference it12a13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Fire-ravaged Indian Navy submarine sinks, Antony confirms deaths". The Times of India. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  9. ^ "Submarine INS Sindhurakshak sinks after major blast in Mumbai; all 18 feared dead". Deccan Chronicle. 14 August 2013. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  10. ^ "Submarine Sindhurakshak sinks after blast, casualties feared". The Hindu. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Huge blow to Indian Navy as submarine explodes with 18 men". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 August 2013.