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Safety down under

Certainly, submarine safety equipment and procedures have improved a great deal during the past 50 years. But even so, the Kursk episode demonstrates that it still requires favourable factors such as weather, the depth at which the submarine rests and the immediate availability of rescue equipment to ensure a successful result to the rescue operations.

The hardships submariners have to put up with are not well-known to the common man. Cramped quarters, restricted use of water, absence of hot, cooked meals and the perpetual safety requirements which prevent smoking and some other activities are the normal inconveniences put up by submarines. In wartime, there is the constant fear of being spotted and depth charged.

Despite this, the Indian Navy has never lacked volunteers to join its submarine arm. The selected candidates have to be 200 per cent fit, both physically and mentally. There is no room for paranoia or claustrophobia on board the small boat where the crew has literally to live cheek by jowl.

The accident to Kursk is, of course, not the first to a submarine nor will it be the last. Ever since submarines made their entry into naval warfare during the early part of this century, there have been a number of accidents involving collisions, grounding, explosions and fires. In some cases the accidents have resulted in loss of the entire vessel along with the crew.

The peacetime losses certainly do not compare to the losses suffered during wartime. In the Second World War for example, Germany lost an unbelievable 781 U-boats along with 32,000 officers and men, but not before they had sunk over 2,500 allied merchant ships totaling 14.5 million tonnes. Surprisingly, nearly half the submarines were sunk by the Coastal Command Aircraft of the Royal Air Force.

Submarines suffer from a number of disadvantages when at sea. To start with, their visibility and detection capability is vastly reduced once they dive, especially below periscope level. On diving, the conventional submarines are propelled by electric motors which have to be charged periodically. For this, the submarine has to run its diesel engines either on the surface or just below surface, where it can use the snort mast. Apart from the vulnerability of the submarine in war during this period, charging of batteries gives rise to another problem. A large amount of hydrogen gas is released during this process and unless strict safety precautions are taken, this volatile gas can be the cause of internal explosions. In fact a large number of accidents to submarines have taken place due to negligence when dealing with hydrogen.

Nuclear-powered subs do not have to worry about hydrogen. However, they have other problems. In an accident such as collision or flooding, the nuclear reactor is programmed to "scram", meaning emergency shut down and the submarine is apt to lose all power immediately. This will send the sub plunging down to the depths. This appears to have happened to the Kursk.

Submarines also carry on board mines or torpedoes. Although these are quite inert and placid during peacetime, they can be the cause of trouble, especially when they are armed during exercises or practice firings. In the 'thirties, a strange accident to a British submarine took place when a torpedo tube cover was opened resulting in the flooding of the submarine. It later transpired that the small pipe which is opened to ensure that there is no water in the tube had jammed with cotton waste!

The Kursk is a Russian submarine. But even the United States Navy and the Royal Navy have had their share of submarine accidents. The United States Navy began operating its first submarine, the USS Holland (SS-1), on October 12, 1900. With the commissioning of the Holland, the United States became the first nation to operate submarines as warships, not just as experimental oddities. In the past 100 years, the US Navy has built and operated nearly 800 submarines. The "Silent Service", as the submarine branch of the US Navy is known, has compiled an admirable safety record, one that is the envy of every other navy that operates submarines. The US Navy's methods are often duplicated and many nations even send their own officers and sailors to train under US Navy submarine instructors.

Even so, the US Navy has had its share of accidents, including two serious accidents to nuclear powered submarine involving loss of life. In April 1963, the USS Thresher, a nuclear submarine, sank off the New England coast while on sea trials following an overhaul. The exact cause is unknown. The most likely cause was the failure in either a pipe, a pipe valve, or a hull weld, causing flooding somewhere near the engine room. The flooding probably short-circuited an electrical system related to the main engine, causing the reactor to "scram" or shut down. Without power, the Thresher was unable to surface, and the continued flooding caused Thresher to drop below her crush depth where the pressure of the ocean destroyed her. There were no survivors and all 129 men on board perished.

Another nuclear powered submarine, the USS Scorpion, was lost in May 1968, while 400 miles southwest of Azores. The wreckage of the Scorpion was discovered in some 10,000 feet of water. The cause of the loss was never discovered. Ninety men lost their lives in this accident.

How does the Indian Navy's submarine safety record compare with the major maritime powers? Compared to some of the other navies, the Indian Navy's submarine arm is still young. The first submarine arrived in India only in 1967. Since then the Navy has notched up a creditable record in submarine operations. This is not to say that Indian submarines have been without accidents.

In 1969 the submarine Karanj collided with the destroyer Ranjit during exercises, resulting in extensive damage to the Karanj's superstructure. Fortunately, there was no damage to the pressure hull and no loss of life. The Karanj returned to operational service within the year.

Some fifteen years later the submarine Vaghsheer collided with the destroyer Rana during exercises. Once again there was only superficial damage to the submarine. However, one propeller of the destroyer was badly damaged and had to be replaced.

It is indeed fortuitous that the Indian Navy has not had to use its submarine rescue facilities so far. Such facilities are highly sophisticated and cost an enormous amount. The Navy does have some basic facilities but in case of a major accident, it will have to ask for help from countries who have such facilities. The United States for example, has a submersible rescue vessel which can be airlifted to the nearest port and then taken to the scene of the accident by rescue vessel.

If the submarine sinks in shallow waters, say up to 100-150 feet, the crew are trained to escape through hatches by using special suits. The German origin submarines of the Indian Navy have a special rescue spheres. In case of an accident all crew members jam themselves inside the spheres which are then released from within.

However, the best method of submarine safety has always been prevention of accidents. Statistics show that in peacetime, most of the accidents happen due to human error brought about by lack of training, a lackadaisical attitude and absence of discipline.

Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd)