Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) handed over submarine ‘INS Sindhukirti’ after a refit to the Indian Navy here on Friday. This is the first time that a submarine of this nature has been refitted in India. It took about nine years for the retrofit and Russians were a part of the process.
"They are very particular about the work and insisted on replacement of 39 steel plates, which was a major work,” HSL Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral (retd.) N.K. Mishra said.
“Submarine repairs are 10 times more complicated than ship repairs and require a lot of specialised knowledge. We have involved retired Naval submariners and Naval Sailors, who are familiar with the functioning of submarines inside out. Around 150 of our workforce gained hands on experience in the repair of submarines,” he told the media on the sidelines of the function.
Rear Admiral (Retd.) Mishra said that he was optimistic that the Indian Navy would place another order for a second refit by the HSL. The shipyard had experience of refitting two Egyptian submarines during the 1970s. Though much of that experience could not be salvaged, the systems for refit of submarines that were put in place at that time were still functional and they were put to good use.
