Jakarta. A number of countries have offered assistance to the Indonesian Navy to locate the submarine which disappeared during combat drills on Wednesday.
The Indonesian Navy is racing against time to find the submarine KRI Nanggala-402 and study the fate of its 53 crew because the oxygen supply – if the submarine remains intact – will run out in a maximum of three days.
Singapore was the first to deploy personnel and rescue vessels in the hours since the news broke.
“The MV Swift Rescue of the Republic of Singapore Navy – our submarine rescue ship – departed as fast as yesterday afternoon, as fast as he could get ready, after our Commander of the Navy received a request for assistance from his Indonesian counterpart,” Singapore Defense Minister Ng wrote Eng Hen on his account. Facebook is official on Thursday.
“The medical team is also added to the regular crew if hyperbaric treatment is needed. Our military relationship with Indonesia is very close, built up over years of bilateral training and engagement at all levels. It’s only natural that we do whatever we can to help in times like these, “he added.
His Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, said South Korea and India had also offered assistance in the search operation.
“South Korea has just contacted us offering their assistance, and so has India,” Prabowo said at a joint press conference with military officials in Jakarta.
A Navy team has spotted a sea level oil spill in northern Bali, where the submarine made its final contact at around 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, but searches so far have shown no meaningful progress.
President Joko Widodo said that the safety of the crew of the KRI Nanggala is currently the most urgent.
“I have ordered the military commanders, chief of staff of the navy and Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency) to use everything they have and do their best in search and rescue operations,” the president said in a video message.
“To all members of the crew family, I understand your feelings at this difficult time, but I can assure you that the government is doing its best to locate and rescue all missing submarine personnel.”
Purchased from Germany in 1981, the KRI Nanggala-402 is one of only five submarines currently in service by the Indonesian military. It underwent repairs in South Korea for two years until 2012.