What You Need to Know: India's INS Sindhurakshak, a Kilo-class submarine, met a tragic end in 2013 when a fire and explosion during weapon loading killed 18 crew members in Mumbai. Despite being lauded for stealth, the submarine's history was plagued by incidents, including a battery fire in 2010 and a near-sinking during transit.

-Investigations revealed violations of Standard Operating Procedures during torpedo loading as the likely cause. Plans to salvage the submarine were abandoned, and it was scuttled in 2017.

-This tragedy highlighted lapses in safety protocols, prompting stricter measures in India's submarine operations. Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned, taking responsibility for the disaster.

Since the Cold War, India has been a buyer of Soviet and, more recently, Russian-made military hardware. That included 10 Kilo-class submarines, including the INS Sindhurakshak (S63), which suffered a major fire and explosion over ten years ago in the Mumbai naval dockyard, killing 18 crew members.

The explosion was so strong, it shook windows in the city's high-rise buildings.

Interestingly enough, the Kilo-class subs are much respected in U.S. military circles and are considered capable, even if developed and perfectected in the 1970s and 1980s. Some experts call these subs the 'black hole' for their stealth capabilities under the sea.

The story of the Sindhurakshak is not all that different from other Russian vessels........

© The National Interest