Submarines
In addition to the principal commands, flag officers direct three large sub-commands: Naval Aviation and Goa Area (in Goa, on the western coast between Bombay and Cochin), Submarines (in Visakhapatnam), and the “Fortress” in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Port Blair), located in the southeastern Bay of Bengal.
The submarines are placed under the operational and administrative control of the FOsC-in-C of the respective Naval Commands. A Flag Officer is appointed as Class Authority for the submarines to coordinate and institute common standards and practices, safety precautions and procedures, warfare tactics and training and also operational readiness.
The Navy operates a certain number of submarine squadrons, each with an assigned number of vessels. All the squadrons, excepting one which had only 50 per cent of its complement, operated with the assigned number of vessels. However, on account of considerable time overruns for various refits, ( paragraph 16.4 refers), the operational availability of vessels during 1990-95 ranged between 10 and 66 per cent of the total strength of submarine fleet.
Exercise and training of personnel, as in the case of other arms of the Defence Forces, are essential to maintain the battle fitness of the Navy. Naval HQ prescribed standards for conducting exercise by the operational vessels from time to time which, inter alia, stipulated participation by all the operational vessels in combined and coordinated exercises alongwith other surface vessels and aircraft in the Navy for prescribed durations. It was, however, seen that during 1990-95, the number of participating submarines in exercises was not only low but also the actual duration of their participation was far below the prescribed durations.
Naval HQ stated, in February 1996, that during peace time, every sea sortie had a training value which built up confidence level of the crew and improved combat efficiency. This argument is not tenable as the combined and coordinated fleet exercises are intended to operate the vessels in tandem with other vessels to enhance combat skills in various eventualities (including war like situations) which were not susceptible to simulation during single sea sorties. Further, as the Navy did not have any submarine specifically dedicated for training purposes, their participation in combined fleet exercises was all the more necessary to ensure battle-fitness of both the crew and the submarine fleet.
The training courses for the crew and officers of the submarine fleet are conducted in a training establishment as per the annual training programme of Naval HQ. A study of the total training days utilised vis-a-vis those programmed during the period 1990-95 shows that the shortfall in utilisation of the programmed number of days ranged from 17 to 52 per cent in respect of officers and 16 to 46 per cent in case of sailors. This apart, the duration was also curtailed by two to ten weeks in respect of certain courses. Thus, training facilities were not utilised to the extent these were programmed.
For the purpose of ensuring proper preventive maintenance of the submarines, periodical refit of all the three classes has been prescribed by the Naval HQ. These refits are of three different types namely short, normal and medium, with specified durations ranging from two to 24 months. For the purpose of carrying out refits of the submarines as well as the surface vessels of the Indian Navy, there are six naval dry dock facilities -four at Mumbai and two at Visakhapatnam. Any time-overrun in carrying out refits beyond the prescribed periods has evidently an adverse effect on the maintenance schedule of other vessels due for refits, affecting their operational availability and battle readiness. So far as the submarines are concerned, it was noticed that between 1990 and 1995, there were inordinate delays in carrying out prescribed refits of all the classes.
