The recent spate of submarine mishaps that have raised serious questions over the Indian Navy’s preparedness can be traced to prolonged neglect in upgradation and delay in decision making at the highest level.
The alarming state of affairs prevailing in the Navy is reflected in the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which highlights that delay in refit and midlife upgrades has led to a loss of more than 8,629 man-days affecting the Navy’s operational capabilities. An earlier CAG report painted a grimmer picture. It said half of the submarine fleet is in a state of disrepair and not fit to take part in war operations.
The report on refit and maintenance was filed days before INS Sindhuratna met with a serious accident on Wednesday off Mumbai. The submarine underwent refit for more than six months last year at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.
Expressing concern over the refit management, the CAG report tabled in Parliament during the recently-concluded Winter Session said, out of the 152 refit tests, only 18 per cent were commenced as per Indian Navy norms, while 74 per cent of the refits were completed with a total delay of 8,629 days. Noting this, the report pointed out that these issues were raised as far back as 1999 and “we observe that even after a decade, the same concerns continue to exist.”
As regards the upkeep of submarines, two CAG reports in 2008 and 2009 said the process of procurement of Battery Monitoring System urgently needed for submarines witnessed inordinate delays. The systems, costing Rs3.68-crore were yet to be installed and the systems have remained idle for three years and their warranty period has expired. Even where parts were ordered, they sometimes did not match requirements, the CAG said and the Navy was forced to cannibalize spare parts to keep its fleet going.
This observation assumes significance as unconfirmed reports hint that the explosion abroad INS Sindhurakshak in August last year killing all 18 on board and the fire on INS Sindhuratna could have been caused by faulty batteries. Meanwhile, the CAG also said half of India’s submarine fleet is in disrepair and no more than 48 per cent of India’s submarine fleet is available for waging war, should India be attacked.
At present, India has 15 submarines including 14 conventional and one nuclear powered vessel INS Chakra. While Russian-made Chakra was inducted into the Navy two years ago on a ten-year lease, most of the conventional submarines are more than 20 years old and have already undergone mid-life upgrades.
The Navy had planned to have at least 25 submarines by the end of this decade but inordinate delay in production of six Scorpene submarines and floating of a global tender for six more submarines has affected operational preparedness. Scorpene submarines are under construction in Mazagon Docks in Mumbai and the project is already more that four years late.
Moreover, the indigenously designed and manufactured nuclear powered submarine Arihant will go for sea trials in the next few months and the first submarine will join service only towards the end of next year. The Navy plans to have three more Arihant submarines in the next four to five years if the manufacturing schedules are adhered to.
Taking note of these facts, the CAG said the submarine numbers fall far short of the requirement and the fleet is only 67 per cent of the force levels approved 23 years ago. “The Indian Navy currently holds just 67 per cent of the force level envisaged in its 1985 plan,” the report said adding “some of the submarines have already outlived their maximum service life.”