5 Naval officers face disciplinary action in ship fire

New Delhi: Six navy personnel, including five officers, are facing disciplinary action after they were found culpable by a board of inquiry for a fire on board aircraft carrier INS Virat in September last year, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

“Disciplinary action is being taken against five officers and one sailor found culpable by a BoI into the fire incident on INS Virat,” defence minister Arun Jaitley said.

INS Virat is over 50 years old and has undergone several modifications.

Jaitley added that action was also being taken against three officers and four sailors for a fire on board fast patrol vehicle INS Tarasa last July.

via The Telegarph

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Fire breaks out on another Indian Navy ship

Visakhapatnam: A "minor" fire broke out in one of the living compartments of warship 'INS Savitri' in the Naval dockyard here but there were no casualties.

It was the 16th reported mishap involving naval personnel and assets after the sinking of the Russian-origin submarine INS Sindhurakshak in August last year in which all the 18 personnel on board were killed.

The "minor" fire, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, was reported on Saturday and it was brought under control by the duty staff on the ship, a statement from Navy said here.

There were no casualties in the incident and only minor damage was caused to fittings and personal belongings of sailors on board was reported, it said.

There is no impact of the incident on the combat worthiness of the ship, an offshore patrol vessel, it added.

A spate of mishaps involving Naval warships have been reported in the last one year. Recently, INS Kuthar, a Khukri class corvette, suffered damage while entering the harbour of a naval base in the Andamans and is undergoing repairs there.

The other major mishaps include last year's sinking of INS Sindhurakshak on 14 August, fire on board aircraft carrier INS Virat on 22 September, fire on board INS Konkan on 4 December and accident of INS Talwar with a fishing trawler.

The spate of accidents in the navy resulted in the resignation of former Navy Chief Admiral D.K. Joshi, who took moral responsibility of the accidents and sought voluntary retirement from the maritime force on February 26.

via Zee News

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Navy lacks rescue vehicle to save submarine crew

HYDERABAD: Amidst the spate of incidents involving submarines, a grim fact has come to the fore: Indian Navy does not have a single Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV). The navy had acquired one such vessel when it possessed only four submarines in 1971. But the vessel was decommissioned in 1989. Since then, the Indian Navy has not been able to procure a single DSRV even though the number of submarines in its fleet has increased.

DSRVs like INS Nistar, the only one that figured in the Indian Navy's fleet so far, have the capability of rescuing the crew of a disabled submarine by using a wet or a dry escape method, avoiding the problems associated with decompression.

In the event of an accident where the submarine is unable to surface, an attempt is made to bring her to the surface with the assistance of ships and divers, failing which, the only alternative is for the crew to escape from the rescue vessel.

The 'wet' method is where the sailors escape crawling through the torpedo tube through one of the hatches, wearing diving or escape suits, possible only at a depth of around 100 meters. The 'dry' method is where a 'rescue bell' 'mates' with the submarine, i.e., sits on top of the escape hatch and the sailors enter it from the afflicted submarine.

According to Commander (retired) Sudarshan Chakrapani who served on submarines of the class as INS Sindhurakshak and INS Sindhuratna (both of which witnessed mishaps during the last few weeks), said the Indian Navy's submarine arm came into existence on December 8, 1967, in Riga, USSR, with the commissioning of INS Kalveri. Four years later, the Indian Navy acquired the submarine rescue vessel INS Nistar. "In 1971, the rescue vessel was inducted in the Indian Navy when we had just 4 submarines. Today, we have many more submarines, but not a single rescue vessel," he said.

The search for a new submarine rescue vessel commenced after INS Nistar was pensioned off in 1989. However, 25 years later, the search is still on, said Chakrapani. For a 'make-do' solution till such a vessel is inducted, the diving tender Nireekshak, which has the all-important diving bell that enables rescue of sailors succeeded her. However, INS Nireeshak has its own limitations. The Indian Navy, therefore is without any 'worthwhile' method to rescue sailors onboard a sunken submarine, said Commander Chakrapani.

In a development that perhaps comes a little too late vis-a-vis the recent mishaps, a senior naval official claimed that the ministry of defence after the August 2013 mishap of INS Sindhurakshak (which had claimed 18 lives) cleared the proposal for procuring two Deep Submergence Rescue Vessels at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

via Times of India

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Indian Navy accidents a concern: Antony

Accidents suffered by some Indian Navy vessels over the past few months was a "matter of concern", Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Thursday.

Interacting with the media at Defexpo 14' here, Antony said he cannot provide "100 percent satisfaction certificate" although standard operating procedures were being largely followed.

Every accident, he added, needed to be probed for corrective action.

Facing a volley of questions on accidents involving vessels and warships, Antony said that the Indian naval assets had substantially risen over a decade and it had become one of the most advanced navies.

"That is why countries want close cooperation (with us). Almost all want joint exercises," he said.

The navy, the minister said, was seriously studying all the accidents.

"I am told (they are) in the process of taking corrective action. More than you and me, the navy itself is keen to take corrective action and see (that) such accidents (are) minimsed."

The minister said even one accident was a "serious" matter for him and there was a need to strictly follow standard operating procedures and draw proper lessons.

"By and large (they are) following it... (I) cannot give a 100 percent satisfaction certificate."

The navy has faced criticism over a series of recent accidents.

Its submarine INS Sindhurakshak was engulfed by fire on Aug 13-14 night last year.

Official sources said INS Talwar, a frigate, collided with a fishing vessel in December. And INS Betwa, also a frigate, suffered damage in its critical component.

Antony said the navy was acquiring new warships every year. He said there was a need to be careful and take corrective action after every accident.

via Business Standard

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Stormy weather for top navy officers after accidents

Rahul Singh. 

A rash of accidents involving India’s leading warships may have far-reaching implications not only for the country’s security but also the navy’s future hierarchy.

Causing severe embarrassment to the navy, the accidents --- nine in six months -- have taken operational warships out of active duty and knocked some high-flying officers out of the race for top ranks.

At least five warship skippers have been stripped of command over the last 18 months, including JPS Virk, captain of INS Airavat, which ran aground off the Visakhapatnam coast last week.

“Some of the officers sacked from command were poised for senior ranks. The complexion of naval hierarchy is beginning to change,” a navy officer said.

Captain Gopal Suri of INS Talwar, which rammed a trawler on December 23, 2013, is staring at a court martial. But one of his predecessors, Vice Admiral Satish Soni, is tipped to take over as the navy chief next year.

It is learnt that the defence ministry is shocked by the turn of events and has taken umbrage at the navy’s state of denial.

Refusing to accept that the navy was passing through a testing phase, a senior officer had said accidents took place on the highways too. “That’s a lame excuse,” said a defence ministry official. “Seasoned mariners are expected to have higher professional standards than truck drivers.”

The accidents have also brought under scrutiny the navy’s criteria for picking officers to command warships. The ministry is likely to ask the navy to bring in a more rigourous system to assign warship command, as many incumbents haven’t lived up to the standards expected of them.

Suri and Deepak Bisht, captain of INS Betwa, were removed from command in January, with the navy holding them responsible for disturbing lapses.

via Hindustan Times

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Defence ministry pulls up Navy on mishaps, moral turpitude

The defence ministry today pulled up the Navy over the recent spate of mishaps involving warships and cases of moral turpitude surrounding some of its personnel and asked it to address such issues.

The concerns were conveyed during a meeting a senior Navy official had with a top functionary of the ministry in New Delhi, sources said.

Saving naval assets. Image courtesy PIB The force has been asked to address these issues as mishaps involving the warships could dampen the morale of the force and cases involving moral turpitude would bring bad name to it, they said.

The development came at a time when the Navy has seen nine incidents of its warships being involved in mishaps, including one on Sunday.

There have also been cases of alleged sexual misconduct and illicit relationship involving some naval officers. In a recent case, a Naval officer Captain (equivalent to Colonel in Army) Manoj Rawat is facing the prospect of being sacked for allegedly having an illicit affair.

The ministry is looking into the possibility of leakage of secret documents by the officer, who was posted at the Directorate of Naval Operations.

The officer has been recommended for disciplinary action by the Naval headquarters after he was found guilty of having an extra-marital affair. The final decision on his sacking would be taken by the defence ministry.

A number of sexual misconduct cases and wife-swapping allegations have dogged the navy in recent years, prompting Defence Minister AK Antony to take "sternest possible action".

via Firstpost

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Captain of INS Airavat removed for harbour mishap

Gautam Datt.

The captain of INS Airavat, the warship whose propeller was damaged irreparably while entering the Visakhapatnam port last week, has been relieved of his charge as the vessel's commander.

Commander JPS Virk has been removed - even as a probe ordered by the Navy into the incident is still underway - because the ship has been rendered unfit for operational deployment till the damage is repaired.


INS AiravatInitial investigation has hinted that it was the crew’s miscalculation that caused the ship to touch the bottom – which is when the propeller grazed against some object, suffering damage. It is still not clear what caused the damage but inspection of the ship has revealed that the propeller would have to be replaced.
The Shardul-class amphibious warship was returning to the eastern naval command headquarters from an official deployment at the time of the accident.

The incident took place when the 5,600-tonne ship was being manoeuvred through the narrow channel of the harbour. The mammoth size of the warship and limited breadth of the channel make berthing complicated because of restricted waters.

The ship, indigenously built at Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, entered service just five years ago in 2009, and has the capacity to transport troops and battletanks for amphibious assaults.

INS Airavat made news three years ago too when it passed through the troubled waters of South China sea on a visit to Vietnam.

This is the second time in as many months when the Navy has removed the captain of a warship following an accident involving the vessel.

Captain Gopal Suri, the skipper of INS Talwar, was relieved of his charge after the warship collided with an unlit fishing boat near Ratnagiri in December last year. At least 27 fishermen were rescued from the boat that suffered heavy damage in the accident. The Navy had also lodged an FIR against the owner of the fishing boat as it was not equipped for night operations. No damage was caused to INS Talwar which continues to be on deployment.

via India Today

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Navy may have itself to blame for series of recent accidents

Rahul Singh. 

The navy’s failure to keep its main harbour channel navigable in Mumbai may have risked operations and may also led to some of the recent accidents, a top official has told HT.

An unreasonable delay in awarding a crucial dredging contract to keep the approach to the naval base clear and allow access to warships has raised serious concerns about safe and efficient passage of boats in the shallow waters.

A safe under-keel clearance margin required to steer warships to the harbour may not be available if the seabed is not excavated periodically, raising the chances of vessels running aground. At least two warships, including a submarine, have run aground in recent weeks while returning to the harbour. Under-keel clearance is the vertical distance between the lowest part of the ship’s hull and the seabed.

Full-scale dredging operations in the navigation channel serving the naval dockyard began on December 12, 2013, at least three years behind schedule. Former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash said the harbour should be dredged at least once a year. Navy officials blamed bureaucrats for delaying financial clearances and stalling the Rs80 crore project to ensure continuous availability of desired depths in the channel.

“Realising the gravity of the situation, the western naval command had to overrule its financial advisors. Dredging is vital to ensure a warship’s keel is kept clear of the seabed," the top official said.

The commanding officer of INS Betwa was stripped of his position after his guided missile frigate ran aground on January 4. Barely two weeks later, INS Sindhughosh hit the seabed; prompting the navy to order a probe.

Sources said that while delay in carrying out dredging may have been a factor, the captains of the warships could not be absolved of their responsibility for safe navigation.

via Hindustan Times

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Navy warship runs aground off Vizag coast, 9th mishap in 7 months

In the ninth mishap involving Indian Navy's warships in the last seven months, an amphibious vessel was damaged when it ran aground off the coast of Vishakhapatnam.

An inquiry has been ordered by the Navy to ascertain the reasons for the mishap last week, sources in the Navy said today.

The incident was the eighth involving a Naval warship since the sinking of the submarine INS Sindhurakshak in Mumbai harbour in August last year in which all 18 personnel on board were killed.

The Magar-class Landing Ship Tanker(LST) ran aground off the coast of Vishakhapatnam and suffered damages, the sources said.

A Navy spokesperson refused to comment on the issue. The LSTs are used by the Navy for amphibious warfare.

Only two ships of the class were designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited in partnership with the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.

The ships are stationed at the naval base in Vishakhapatnam.

They can operate two medium-lift helicopters, which are primarily meant for "inserting" a small team of Special Forces (marine commandos).

There have been several incidents in the recent past amid claims by Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi that the force's record in terms of safety was "not that bad" when compared to other navies in the world.

After the sinking of the INS Sindhurakshak, one of the mishaps involved INS Betwa which was damaged after probably hitting some underwater object.

The INS Sindhughosh, another Kilo Class submarine, had a close shave after it entered the Mumbai harbour in a low tide phase.

India's leading minesweeper, the INS Konkan that was undergoing repairs in Vizag, caught fire and suffered major damage to its interiors.

The Pondicherry-class minesweeper was getting a refit at a dry dock when the incident occurred.

via The Economic Times

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Mishaps expose chinks in Navy armour

Manu Pubby.

Seven accidents involving frontline warships in as many weeks have exposed major chinks in the Navy armour and punctured the claim of Admiral D K Joshi made last month that the safety record of the force was “not all that bad”.

In the latest incident, INS Betwa — a Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigate — is suspected to have run aground or collided with an unidentified object while approaching the Mumbai naval base. The sonar dome mounted on the hull of the frigate commissioned in 2004 has cracked, leading to faulty readings and ingress of saltwater into sensitive equipment. The damage, which has prompted a board of inquiry, has rendered the ship ineffective.

 The incident called “minor” by the Navy is the latest in a series that have come to light since December 4, Navy Day. Defence Minister A K Antony is believed to have sought a report. Joshi, whose term as the Navy Chief has seen several major incidents, including the loss of the INS Sindhurakshak submarine, had on December 3 defended the safety record of the force. The very next evening, India’s leading minesweeper, the INS Konkan that was undergoing repairs in Vizag, caught fire and suffered major damage to its interiors. The Pondicherry-class minesweeper was getting a refit at a dry dock when the incident occurred.

 In another incident, a 30-mm gun on ICSG Sangram, a patrol boat undergoing a refit at the naval docks in Mumbai, fired accidentally. The shell pierced the Naval headquarters building damaging a few offices and narrowly missing a few officers. Following this, the INS Tarkash — a Talwar-class frigate which has conducted several overseas missions — hit the jetty while berthing at the Mumbai naval base. Its hull was badly damaged. Late at night on December 23, the Navy suffered a major embarrassment after the INS Talwar collided with a fishing vessel 10 miles off the coast, injuring many. The 27 people aboard the fishing vessel had to be rescued after it sunk. The dwindling submarine force of the Navy too suffered a setback when the Kilo-class INS Sindhugosh was “grounded” at the Mumbai base after it entered shallow waters at low tide. The submarine was, however, freed and did not suffer much damage. A fault on board the INS Vipul, a Veer-class corvette that recently underwent repairs and refit, has also come to light.

The warship, sources said, had to be sent back for repairs after a breach was discovered during sailing. Besides these seven accidents, the Navy suffered its biggest blow last year when the INS Sindhurakshak submarine went down at the Mumbai harbour due to still unexplained explosions, killing 18 sailors. Almost six months later, the submarine is still lying at the bottom of the naval dock in Mumbai.

The Navy Chief asserted last month that it takes months and years for sunken submarines to be brought to surface.

via Indian Express

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Antony seeks report from Navy on submarine incident

Six months after its submarine sunk in the Mumbai harbour, another Navy underwater vessel had a close shave near the same place last week, prompting Defence Minister AK Antony to seek a detailed report from the service on the incident.

"I have sought a report from the Navy. They have sent initial report and they will send a detailed report later. There was some unexpected tidal change," he said.

The minister indicated that the submarine has not suffered any major damage. The Minister was asked to comment on the alleged incident where Navy's INS Sindhughosh submarine was allegedly grounded due to lack of water in the harbour area in Mumbai.

Navy officials denied reports that the vessel had to be salvaged, saying the submarine was not grounded and "no Board of inquiry has been ordered" into the incident by the force.
Last week on Friday, the submarine had encountered a situation where there was very less water in the harbour but held to its position using ropes and other means but was not grounded, they said.

In August last year, Navy lost its latest submarine INS Sindhurakshak after an explosion in its torpedo section killing all the 18 personnel on board.

via The Economic Times

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Indian Navy's submarine INS Sindhughosh grounded inside Mumbai harbour, salvage operation begins

For the Indian Navy's submarine arm, already reeling under a crisis of numbers, Friday evening got a very rude jolt. A Kilo-class submarine, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sindhughosh, while returning into the harbour, inside the naval dockyard, hit the ground and remained there. At the time of the incident, it was fully armed, carrying its entire compliment of nearly 70 personnel all of whom are reported safe.

When reached for a confirmation, a naval spokesperson denied this development.

However, confirmed information suggested that the incident had indeed taken place on account of the receding tide at around 5:30pm. It was also learnt that the submarine was to initially enter the harbour by 4pm, it got delayed and by then the low tide had set in.

As per the Mumbai's municipal authorities, the timing for peak high tide on January 17 was at 1254hours to the height of 3.80m after which the tide began falling and it was at its lowest of 0.74m at 1847hours.

It was also learnt that at the time of writing, efforts were on from the Navy's side to salvage the submarine inhouse using tugs and other equipment, to be used in tandem with the tide rising.

There is a possibility that owing to this, damage could occur to the sonar system as well as other parts of the hull. It was not immediately clear as to how deep the damage was.

- INS Sindhughosh is a Kilo-class submarine Type 877EKM, made in Russia

- INS Sindhughosh specialises in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities

- Has diesel-electric propulsion system

- INS Sindhughosh was the first of its class to be inducted into the Indian Navy

via IndiaToday

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Indian Navy's safety record tarnished

The first accident was written off as an aberration. The second one could have been ignored as a coincidence. The third one, however, should have raised eyebrows and when followed by a fourth, the incidents undoubtedly point to a worrying trend. Earlier this week when a fishing trawler sank after colliding with the Navy's frontline frigate, INS Talwar, near Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, injuring four of the 27 persons onboard, it marked the fourth accident involving a naval warship this year alone. On December 4, the minesweeper, INS Konkan, caught fire when it was in the dry dock for maintenance in Visakhapatnam. Prior to that in September, a fire broke out on INS Viraat, India’s much-touted aircraft carrier, off the coast of Mumbai. And then of course, there was the huge explosion in the torpedo section of INS Sindhurakshak that sunk the warship in the Mumbai naval harbour, killing all 18 personnel on board on August 14. Four accidents in as many months should be enough cause for serious introspection at the naval headquarters. On Navy Day earlier this month, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral DK Joshi sought to defend the Indian Navy's safety record as one that was “not all that bad” when compared to other navies of the world. The fact that this is a lame excuse notwithstanding, it still does not account for the sudden and meteoric rise in the number of the naval accidents in recent times. Apart from the four that have tarnished the Navy's record since August this year, there was a major accident in 2011 as well — INS Vindhyagiri sank following a collision with a merchant navy vessel at the entrance of the Mumbai harbour that caused the hull of the warship to crack and sparked a major fire that took 15 hours to control. A year later, the ship had to be destroyed after the weapons to was carrying could not be retrieved. Before that in 2006, INS Prahar similarly sank off the Goa coast after colliding with the container ship MV Rajiv Gandhi. The commanding officer of the ship was later found guilty of negligence and dismissed from service.

Against this backdrop of deteriorating safety standards, the India Navy must be prepared to answer some tough questions. Already, there is some talk of standard operating procedures not being adequately followed. This deserves some introspection. Similarly, Defence Minister AK Antony's advice, given in the aftermath of the INS Sindhurakshak accident, to top naval commanders to train their personnel suitably so that national resources “are not frittered away” must be taken seriously. As for the incident involving INS Talwar, it is hoped that the Navy will investigate the matter properly and not just blame it on the fishing boat. While the latter's owner and captain have been rightly arrested for sailing unlawfully in the darkness without proper night operating gear, it is inconceivable that a 21st century war ship did not have the capabilities to spot a fishing boat.

via The Pioneer

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Boat sinks after colliding with Naval Ship

The recent spate of accidents that have hit the Navy and have thrown a shadow over its preparedness levels continue with a front line frigate colliding with a fishing vessel off the Maharashtra coast on Monday night, sinking the boat and resulting in injuries to several people.

The INS Talwar, which is the leading ship of its class, collided with a fishing vessel late at night, barely 10 miles off the coast. As many as 27 people who were on board the fishing vessel had to be rescued after it sunk under the impact of the collision.

It is still unclear how the collision occurred, given that the area is known for its high traffic density and the fact that the vessel was of a significant tonnage as far as fishing boats go. The Navy has blamed the fishing craft for the collision with officials claiming that it was operating without any lights at night.

It is learnt that the frigate has not been damaged in the accident and that it went ahead on its patrol after the incident took place. A formal board of inquiry has been ordered by the Navy into the accident, sources said.

Even though Navy Chief Admiral D K Joshi had said on December 3 that the Navy's safety record is "not all that bad", this year has been particularly tough for the force with multiple accidents even prompting Defence Minister A K Antony to direct top commanders to enforce training to personnel to ensure that national resources are not "frittered away".

The INS Talwar incident is the second accident this month. A day after Joshi made the statement on the Navy's track record, the Navy's leading minesweeper, the INS Konkan that was undergoing repair work in Vizag, caught fire suffered major damage.

Besides the loss of the INS Sindhurakshak submarine to still unexplained explosions at the Mumbai harbour earlier this year in which 18 sailors lost their lives, several major platforms, including the INS Vindhyagiri have been lost to accidents.

via Indian Express

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