The Tragic Losses Of The Indian Navy Fleet: INS Brahmaputra And The Rest

Indian Navy's frontline missile frigate INS Brahmaputra sustained severe damage and tilted heavily to one side following a fire mishap onboard the ship while it was undergoing refit at the naval dockyard in Mumbai. The body of the junior sailor, Seaman Sitendra Singh, who went missing after the fire has been found after extensive search operations, the Navy informed on Wednesday. INS Brahmaputra is the first of the indigenously built 'Brahmaputra' class-guided missile frigates commissioned into the Indian Navy in April 2000. The Indian Navy has ordered an investigation into the latest incident involving INS Brahmaputra that aims to uncover the cause of the fire and the subsequent capsizing of the warship. This catastrophic incident reminds us of the series of similar events that shook the core of Indian Naval fleet. In 2016, a similar incident occurred when INS Betwa, another frigate of the same class, capsized while undocking at the same naval dockyard. In 2014, another Russian-made submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, exploded and sank while docked in Mumbai, resulting in the loss of 18 crew members. This was one of the worst maritime disasters in India’s history. In the same year in 2013, a fire broke out on India’s only aircraft carrier at the time, INS Viraat, off the coast of Mumbai. In 2011, the frigate INS Vindhyagiri sank after a collision with a merchant vessel, while entering the Mumbai dockyard. Coming back to the INS Brahmaputra tragedy, the incident calls for immediate and all-inclusive investigations to identify and address the root cause. Strengthening safety protocols & Operation Procedures will be vital in safeguarding the lives of sailors and upholding the integrity of Indian navy fleet.