Liability, awards and settlements

13.8, submarine collision, indictment

India: an Indian Navy court martial indicted a submarine commander and served him with loss of seniority for a collision the submarine had with a merchant vessel during a Naval exercise in the Arabian Sea in January of this year. The commander of the advanced naval submarine INS Sindhughosh , was punished by the Court Martial with “six months loss of seniority” for lapses on his part in ensuring the safety of the submarine and the merchant vessel. The INS Sidhughosh collided with general cargo vessel, Leeds Castle off the Gujarat Coast during a simulated routine exercise. The Board of Inquiry held the Commander responsible for the damage to the submarine’s periscope and aerials. The most-advanced, diesel-powered submarine was out of service for about a month after the accident, though none of the 53 crew members suffered any injury in the collision.