On April 21, 2021, the Indonesian Cakra-class submarine KRI Nanggala 402 departed from the naval base in Surabaya. The submarine was lost on the same day during a naval exercise off the coast of Bali. A total of 53 crew members were on board.
The U.S. military is sending air assistance to search and rescue the missing Indonesian submarine. It is reported that the oxygen on board currently only lasts for a few hours. As a result, Indonesia is doing its best to conduct a search and rescue effort.
The submarine, KRI Nanggala 402, disappeared on Wednesday (April 21) during an exercise off the coast of Bali, sparking a massive search and rescue operation. The 53 people on board have not been heard from. Indonesian officials estimate they have only a few hours left to find the Navy submarine before it runs out of oxygen.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. was “deeply saddened” by the development.
Our hearts go out to the Indonesian sailors and their families,” Kirby said in a statement. At the invitation of the Indonesian government, we are sending air assets to assist in the search for the missing submarine.”
The Indonesian military said Thursday evening that they detected signs of the presence of an object in water 50 meters to 100 meters (165 feet to 330 feet) deep, in the spirit of the idea that it was the KRI Nanggala 402, a vessel that has been deployed with sonar tracking equipment.
“We only have until 0300 tomorrow (Saturday), so we are maximizing all our efforts today. Hopefully, there will be a turnaround.” The military said.
So far, at least six warships, a helicopter and 400 people have been involved in search and rescue efforts. Singapore and Malaysia have sent ships to the area; Australia, France and Germany have also offered assistance.
During the search, an oil slick was found in the area where the submarine is believed to be missing, leading to speculation that the fuel tanks on the submarine may have been damaged.
“We’ve been waiting, we’ve been praying.” Ratih Wardhani told the BBC that his brother, Lieutenant Commander Wisnu Subiyantoro, was among the missing crew.
“The KRI Nanggala 402 is one of five submarines in operation in Indonesia. The vessel was built in Germany in the late 1970s and spent two years in South Korea for refitting, which was completed in 2012.
A naval source told the BBC that this type of incident was the first of its kind in Indonesia.
In 2000, the Russian Navy’s Kursk submarine sank during an exercise in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 crew members. The investigation found that one torpedo on board exploded, which resulted in the detonation of all the remaining torpedoes.
In 2003, a Ming-class submarine was involved in an accident during an exercise in the Barents Sea, killing all 70 naval officers and men on board.
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