Billion-dollar Indian submarine grounded because sailors forgot to close hatch
The hatch was left open, causing water to flood into the engine compartment, paralyzing the Indian strategic submarine for nearly a year.
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India's nuclear submarine INS Arihant. Photo: India Times |
India's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant was forced to stop operations after a sailor forgot to close a hatch on the left side, causing seawater to flood into the engine compartment,Popular Mechanicstoday news
The incident occurred while the INS Arihant was anchored at the port, Indian naval sources said. After pumping out the water, engineers spent 10 months repairing and replacing pipes that had corroded due to exposure to seawater, especially the cooling water system for the ship's 83 megawatt nuclear reactor.
"The damaged pipes not only endanger the crew but also have the potential to destroy the entire submarine and its nuclear weapons," the Indian navy said.
INS Arihant is a strategic nuclear submarine with a displacement of 6,000 tons, developed over the past three decades in a secret program of the Indian government worth up to 2.9 billion USD.
The ship has a maximum speed of 43 km/h and is equipped with K-15 missiles with a range of 750 km and K-4 ballistic missiles with a range of 3,500 km. Both missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
