Indonesian sub with 53 on board missing

The Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala-402, with a crew of 53 on board, went missing off Bali. The sub was built by Germany, and underwent a major overhaul that was completed in 2012 in South Korea. The crew was conducting a torpedo drill, and didn't report the results as expected. A distress call was sent to the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office, and Australia, Singapore, and India responded to requests for help with the search. An oil slick was found near the last known location of the sub. The crew consisted of 49 crew members, and 4 passengers, including at least one from the Weapons Materials and Electronics Service. The MV Swift Rescue was reported heading to the area.

Updates as they become available.

Indonesia's navy is searching for a submarine with 53 people on board which has gone missing during a training exercise in waters north of the island of Bali.

The 43-year-old vessel was conducting a torpedo drill on Wednesday but failed to relay the results as expected, a navy spokesman said.

news.sky.com...

Indonesian rescuers searching for a submarine that went missing with 53 people on board found an oil spill on Wednesday near where the vessel dived, authorities said.

The 44-year-old submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, was conducting a torpedo drill in waters north of the island of Bali but failed to relay the results as expected, a navy spokesman said.

An aerial search found an oil spill near the submarine's dive location and two navy vessels with sonar capability have been deployed to assist in the search, the Defense Ministry said.

www.reuters.com...

There is not likely to be a good outcome.

I hung out with some submariners years ago. They were tenants of a friend. Odd bunch.

originally posted by: Phage

I hung out with some submariners years ago. They were tenants of a friend. Odd bunch.

Did the propellers tatood on their butts give it away?

a reply to: schuyler

No. My friend, their landlord, did.

Know how fast a submerged boomer can go? "Better than 20 knots." They were good and drunk and that was the best I could get out of 'em.

a reply to: Phage

You have to be a little bit crazy to be a submariner.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I was being charitable.
I said "odd." Thing is, they actually seem to thrive on it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Being on a sinking ship would be bad enough, i couldn't imagine the horror of being on a sinking submarine. You're just hooped, you know there's pretty much no chance of rescue or coming out alive....Hopefully it turns up with the crew alive.

Sounds like a torpedo tube failed and blew up the front of the sub.

Enough time to call mayday but not much else.

Submarines are terrifying no matter which which end of the ordinance you are situated.

😢

originally posted by: Phage

I hung out with some submariners years ago. They were tenants of a friend. Odd bunch.

Definitely odd. We had a submariner come to our squadron after being kicked out of subs for medical reasons. Nice enough dude, very smart, but very strange.



Feel bad for these guys. If they're lost, that's a terrible way to go.

originally posted by: FauxMulder

originally posted by: Phage

I hung out with some submariners years ago. They were tenants of a friend. Odd bunch.

Definitely odd. We had a submariner come to our squadron after being kicked out of subs for medical reasons. Nice enough dude, very smart, but very strange.

A couple of years in a sardine can will do that to people.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Seems like a large crew for such an old sub. would have expected about half that number.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: schuyler

Know how fast a submerged boomer can go? "Better than 20 knots." They were good and drunk and that was the best I could get out of 'em.

And a carrier can only do 35 knots, but......the rooster tail is higher than the flight deck, which is 60 feet above the waterline.

a reply to: schuyler

And Torpedoes average a speed of 40 knots.

Why are we discussing vessel speeds?

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: schuyler

And Torpedoes average a speed of 40 knots.

Why are we discussing vessel speeds?

Have you been following the thread at all?

For a couple of years (not specified so you can't id me!) I commanded the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO) that was located in Norfolk, VA. After the Russian Kursk submarine was lost, all countries that operate submarines signed an agreement that despite whatever politics were involved, we would come to each other's aid in the case of another submarine disaster.

Some countries bring unique capabilities like Poland (www.polandatsea.com...). Some have no capability and rely on the others. All countries have exchanged hatch mating information with each other and crush depth data. We even have an agreement with China. This is the only mission I am aware of that knows no enemies.

The key measurement is a 72 hour time to first rescue (TTFR). We can ship our hypobaric chambers, rescue vehicles and other support to any airport/seaport combination within 24 hrs. After that, the hardware can be mated onto any merchant vessel and brought to the sinking site.

These are not the days of old when we only had two DSRV's (deep submergence rescue vehicles - like in the Hunt For Red October) that were carried on the back of a Los Angeles Class 688. That was our capability for the Kursk, which is the major reason we were not able to get to the sunken vessel in time (of course, politics also delayed our response).

Anyways, I'm thinking we're already at the 48 hour point and should already have made contact with the submarine. I pray that the crew survives this disaster. Rest assured, we're doing the best we possibly can to bring those fathers back home to their families.

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: schuyler

And Torpedoes average a speed of 40 knots.

Why are we discussing vessel speeds?

Have you been following the thread at all?

Yes. Phage rumbled some anecdote about submariners.

Then you started rambling about carrier speeds.

How is it relevant to a missing submarine?

You think the Chinese may be responsible?

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: schuyler

And Torpedoes average a speed of 40 knots.

Why are we discussing vessel speeds?

Have you been following the thread at all?

Yes. Phage rumbled some anecdote about submariners.

Then you started rambling about carrier speeds.

How is it relevant to a missing submarine?

Are you the thread police or something? Good Lord, fella, every conversation is not going to go the way you specify. Do I have to explain it to you? Phage mentioned the submariners he talked to said a boomer could go 20 knots. That, of course, is a severe underestimate so I replied that carrier "could go 35 knots," with the clear implication that it could go faster. That would have been the end of it, but you had to complain. So here we are. Either derive something useful from this conversation or not. I really don't care.

a reply to: Arnie123

I will reply for the sake of keeping the topic alive.

Although I wouldn't rule out Chinese involvement, this was an old sub and mechanical failure is far more likely.

There is a reason Western Navies keep updating their fleets.