The Indonesian Navy is looking for a missing submarine with 53 crew members, whose traces are missing today (local time), and is asking for help from Australia and Singapore in the search operation, the chief of the country’s armed forces told Reuters today. .
The German-built submarine KRI Nanggala-402 was conducting a torpedo exercise in waters north of the island of Bali today, but failed to transmit the results as expected, said a Navy spokesman.
“We are continuing to explore the waters of Bali, 60 miles (96 km) from Bali, for 53 people,” Armed Forces Chief Hady Jajado told Reuters in a text message.
The chief of staff confirmed that the country had requested the assistance of Australia and Singapore in the search for the submarine and the missing crew members. He stated that contact with the boat was lost at 4.30 a.m. (local time) today.
Representatives of the Australian and Singaporean Ministries of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 1,395 tonne KRI Nanggala-402 was manufactured in Germany in 1978, according to the website of the Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat, and underwent a two-year repair process in South Korea, which was completed in 2012.
Indonesia previously had a fleet of 12 submarines purchased by the Soviet Union to patrol its archipelago. It now has a fleet of only five submarines, including two German-built Type 209 submarines and three newer South Korean vessels.
Indonesia is seeking to upgrade its defense capabilities, but some of its equipment, which is still in the process of being maintained and repaired, is obsolete and there have been fatal accidents in recent years, mainly involving older military transport aircraft.
(File photo)
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