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New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence said in an official statement on Friday that an Indian fishing vessel has collided with an Indian Naval submarine near the Goa coast, NDTV reported.
The Indian Navy has launched a rescue operation, deploying six ships and aircraft thus rescuing 11 of the 13 crew of the vessel and two are still missing.
It is reported citing the official statement that the vessel, Marthoma, collided with a Scorpene-class submarine about 70 nautical miles off the Goa coast, adding that ‘The cause of the incident is being investigated’.
The statement by the Ministry of Defence said: ‘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.’
Scorpene-class submarines, capable of undertaking missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, and mine laying, are key to India’s naval power in the Indian Ocean.
The Scorpene-class is known for its superior stealth features like advanced acoustic silencing techniques, ability to use precision-guided weapons and low radiated noise levels.
The submarine can launch torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles while underwater or on the surface.