Navy Chief Resigns Blue water aspirations suffer jolt

New Delhi: India’s attempts to have a blue water navy has suffered a huge jolt. Navy Chief Admiral D K Joshi has resigned after a submarine accident off the shore of Mumbai this morning. The Defence Ministry has accepted his resignation. Vice Admiral RK Dhowan will officiate till a new chief is appointed.

Strategically it is a big blow for India that has aspirations of being a major naval power. India will have to look for urgent steps to introspect why there has been a been a string of failures that has clouded India’s naval apparatus.

While Navy has been at forefront of India’s defence strategy the nuclear triad can not be complete without a sea based nuclear delivery platform.

This morning, seven sailors were injured and two officers are missing after the accident on board Indian Navy submarine INS Sindhuratna. The submarine is headed back to the shore after it was forced to surface when smoke was detected on board.

The injured sailors, who fell unconscious from suffocation, were airlifted to a Navy hospital in Mumbai. Reports suggest that a fire may have broken out on the vessel.

The INS Sindhuratna was being sea tested after a refit, about 40 to 50 km off the Mumbai coast when the smoke was detected. The senior-most submarine officer of the Western Naval Command was on board.

The Russian-origin Kilo Class submarine was carrying no weapons or ammunition. Since it was still in testing mode, it had not been placed under operational command yet.

This is the 10th mishap involving an Indian Navy warship and the third submarine accident in the last seven months.

In August last year, Navy submarine INS Sindhurakshak sank in the Mumbai harbour after an explosion on board, killing 18 sailors.

Earlier this month, an amphibious warfare vessel INS Airavat ran aground after which its commanding officer was stripped of his command duties.

While Admiral Joshi has demonstrated courage and the government for once did not shy from accepting the resignation,  heads must roll to ensure that some confidence can be restored to ensure the credibility of the Indian Navy.