Extra care delays Nuclear submarine’s sea trials

Visakhapatnam: The Indian Navy is being extra-careful with India's first indigenously built nuclear powered submarine INS Arihant, which is now at the naval base in Vizag.

The nuclear sub is likely to go to sea trials by this year end and is  expected to be commissioned by 2017.

The sea trials and the commissioning of the submarine, capable of carrying nuclear missiles, has already been delayed by more than two years.

As per the original schedule, the nuclear submarine, which was ceremonially launched on July 26, 2009, was supposed to go for sea trials in 2010 and formally be inducted into the Indian Navy by 2011.

In August 2012, the then Indian Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma was quoted saying that the nuclear sub would go for sea trials ‘very soon’ and was  expected to be commissioned within 18 months.

But, till date the submarine is  not ‘ready’ for sea trials for unknown reasons.

“The nuclear submarine is undergoing all the standard testing procedures of all its capabilities, since it’s the first of its kind built by India proper care is being taken,” said a top official of the Eastern Naval Command.

This comes in view of the  string of accidents involving Indian Navy ships and submarines since last August, which has claimed lives of as many as 21 navy men in three mishaps, the worst being the  mishap on INS Sindhurakshak at the Mumbai harbour last August which killed 18 men in the torpedo compartment of the submarine.

There were at least 12 naval mishaps since 2010, of which 10 occurred in the last  year.

INS Arihant is part of the Indian Navy’s secretive Advanced Technology Vessel project.

With INS Arihant’s induction into the Navy, India will join the league of five nations with the ability to design, build, and operate its own nuclear submarines.