A Chinese newspaper has gleefully dismissed India’s navy as “too amateurish” to operate nuclear submarines after the pride of its fleet was put out of service because someone had left a hatch door open.
The Global Times also said India’s military forces were a “hodgepodge” of incompatible technologies due to billions of dollars being spent importing weapons from a range of suppliers, including Russia, France, the UK and the US — while it also tried to develop domestic variations.
INS Arihant, India’s only locally-built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and a symbol of the country’s blue water ambitions, has barely been sighted since it completed sea trials in early 2016 and was officially launched in August of the same year.
It was recently disclosed that the submarine, constructed at a cost of US$2.9 billion, was forced back to port after a rear hatch was left open when it submerged, flooding the propulsion plant. The propulsion compartment on a nuclear-powered submarine includes the reactor.
According to The Hindu, the submarine had to spend more than 10 months being dried out and undergoing repairs at its home port of Visakhapatnam. The Defence Ministry said the 6,000 tonne state-of-the-art vessel was now back in service.
India is only the sixth country to successfully build its own nuclear-armed submarine, but the incident has been a major embarrassment for the armed forces after they put their military might on show at the 69th Republic Day celebrations only late last month.
The state-owned Global Times mocked the “indiscipline and slackness” of the submarine’s commanders and crew and said the Indian Navy may be “too amateurish” to operate such a complex, advanced vessel.
“As a national strategic weapon, the nuclear submarine requires careful maintenance, strict management and operation. However, the sailors on the vessel failed to take good care of it,” a Beijing-based naval expert told the newspaper.
Criticising the caliber of India’s armed forces, the report said the Arihant gaffe had shown that most of its soldiers were “not well-educated and lack the necessary knowledge to operate advanced weaponry”.
“Improvement in military technology does not come about overnight and is not solely a military issue, but is related to a country’s comprehensive strength, level of technology, manufacturing capability and quality of personnel,” it said, adding a “warm reminder” that New Delhi would be better to divert resources from the arms race and rivalry with Beijing to proper, basic training of its troops.
The comments did not go down well with some online readers. One suggested that “the so-called expertise [of China] goes out the door when party line takes primary role in criticism [against India]”.
Undaunted by the incident, New Delhi is reportedly pressing ahead with plans for more submarines of the Arihant class. India has one other nuclear-powered submarine, the INS Chakra, but it is being leased from Russia under a 10-year deal that ends in 2022.
Mon Mah great comment. Read this pls. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/deep-diving-into-the-facts-about-ins-arihant-accident/articleshow/62468708.cms
A country with an almost non-existsnt justice system.. economy dictated by export of curry and tea leaves.. country where women get raped almost everyday.. worst still.. a country where people still worship animals that people keep in zoos in the modern age.. lol..
Rohit Arvind Mishra a noisy sub.. u think this sub is for National Geographic to video fishes..? You sir have shown u have the iq of a garden snail.
Virendra Pal Singh from where i come from ( Singapore ) ur country India is a whole lot crappier than China.. oppression by govt.. coming from an Indian.. the irony.. lol.. keep kissjng the westerners butts and maintain ur typical asian inferiority complex.. Mahatma Gandhi got u independance for ur to keep kissing the westerners butt right into this Century..
Virendra Pal Singh funny coming from a country bumpkin like u.. i’d say China is way more advanced than Indian in almost all manner except democracy.. but who gives a crap abt democracy if communism already serves the Chinese people well.. Get ur Indian head out of the Westerners butthole.. maybe ur perspective would change.. and for goodness sake stop idolising and worshipping animals.. for goodness sake beef taste awesome..!
Kagbaranen Zoranen atleast China has done more globally in terms of economic investment than whatever "sh*thole" country you comes from..
I have no doubt we are still on the learning curve on nuclear submarines.But we have operated them for several years under Russian lease – the latest being a modern Akula class SSN since 2011. We have also operated aircraft carriers for over 50 years and are the only Asian power to have used them in war. I would thus imagine the PLAN would have a more professional approach to the IN than the shrill Global Times – whose views do not reflect mainstream official views.
Yen Appa oda joke idu
Please, first liberate your country from oppression inflicted by your country then think of bothering about India
You people do not come to know what is happening in your country, your complete media is controlled. You better fight for your countries liberation from oppression inflicted on you people by your government. Once your country gets liberated then you think of fighting India, if need be tell us we will help you people. God bless your country.
Eddie Chinn I don’t know how many blunders you scientist have committed but you people are denied of all information, in China public can see or hear what Govt, read Xi wants you people to know. Brother don’t worry some day you people will get liberated from oppression then you people will realize the true worth of you country and will progress also.
most of the news made human hate each other, just like this one promote that usually promote war. just wonder is it fund or direct by the west or eu?
sonny,,, your misleading information is terribly done and you should have a hidden aganda.to be accomplished…. shame on you.. Indian guy…
They were busy eating curry
This is rich from a country that lost a Ming class submarine with all hands in 2003 and whose clueless navy took almost 10 days to even find out it was even missing . Accidents happen in all navies while operating complex systems like submarines in deep seas .
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/2003-chinese-attack-submarine-sank-mysteriously-how-the-crew-24547
The news that the submarine was damaged because a hatch was left open is bogus but then expecting global times to do any research is idiotic.
The Arihant design is based on Russian double hull design with a sealed nuclear reactor section. Except for the latest French nuclear submarines that have a hatch above the reactor for quicker refuelling, no other country with nuclear submarines have such a system.
details here
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/deep-diving-into-the-facts-about-ins-arihant-accident/articleshow/62468708.cms
Again No media outlet in india called the chinese space program incompetent / amateurish becuase the long march rocket failed recently .
news and reactions to news have to be balanced and informed
r.bose
The submarine did not submerge in sea . The submarine would have been destroyed that way. The error occurred at harbour . But not to mention china’s pathetic space program of fireworks tumbling down on the nation when launched ????????????.