BackVanishing submarines
Instead of ordering enquiry reports that are kept under wraps, the defence minister should quicken the pace of ordering new submarines
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On Wednesday, the INS Sindhuratna, a Russian-built submarine of the Indian Navy, suffered an accident at sea.
This is the third incident with a similar boat and the 10th on naval vessels in recent memory. In August, the INS Sindhurakshak blew up in a naval dock in Mumbai, killing 18 sailors.
Is our submarine fleet withering away the way our Russia-made MiG jets did?
This is not an alarmist question, but one that requires an immediate answer from defence minister A.K. Antony, who, apart from issuing pro-forma statements, has done little to arrest this dangerous decline in the preparedness of our armed forces.
Submarines are at the cutting edge of our sea defences. But their task of guarding the vast space has been made far more difficult now, as the nation’s fleet strength is much diminished.
Instead of ordering enquiry reports that are kept under wraps, the defence minister should quicken the pace of ordering new submarines.
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