India's billion-dollar submarine is grounded because sailors forgot to close the hatch.
The hatch was left open, allowing water to flood 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 cease operations after a sailor forgot to properly close a hatch on the left side, causing seawater to flood the engine room.Popular MechanicsToday's news report.
According to Indian Navy sources, the incident occurred while INS Arihant was docked at the port. After pumping out the water, engineers spent 10 months repairing and replacing pipes corroded by seawater exposure, particularly the cooling water system for the ship's 83-megawatt nuclear reactor.
"The damaged pipelines not only endanger the crew but also have the potential to destroy the entire submarine and its nuclear weapons," the Indian Navy stated.
INS Arihant is a strategic nuclear submarine with a displacement of 6,000 tons, developed over the past three decades in a secret Indian government program worth up to $2.9 billion.
The submarine 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.
