The vessel, Marthoma, collided with a Scorpene-class submarine (File photo)
New Delhi:
An Indian fishing vessel with a crew of 13 collided with an Indian Naval submarine near the Goa coast, officials said today.
A massive search and rescue operation has been launched by the Indian Navy, which has deployed six ships and aircraft. While 11 crew have been rescued, two are still missing.
The vessel, Marthoma, collided with a Scorpene-class submarine about 70 nautical miles off the Goa coast, the Ministry of Defence said in an official statement.
“Search and rescue efforts for the remaining two are underway and are being coordinated with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai (MRCC). Additional assets including from the Coast Guard have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts,” the statement read.
“The cause of the incident is being investigated,” it added.
Scorpene-Class Submarines
Scorpene-class submarines are a key part of India’s naval power in the Indian Ocean as they can undertake multifarious types of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.
The state-of-the-art technology utilised for the construction of the Scorpene-class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons.
The attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on the surface.
