When President Kalam fired a torpedo from the INS Sindhurakshak

When President Kalam launched a torpedo attack from the Sindhurakshak.

by Sandeep Unnithan

In 2006, President APJ Abdul Kalam became India's first  head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces to sail in a submarine. The vessel chosen for his February 13 sojourn, the INS Sindhurakshak, now lies stricken on the floor of the naval dockyard Mumbai after a tragic accident this Wednesday that claimed the lives of 18 crew.

These pictures now serve as a reminder of happier times when the People’s President spent four brief but eventful hours with the submarine and its crew.

It was a clear day at the naval dockyard in Vizag on February 13, a day after he had inspected the naval fleet off Visakhapatnam. President Kalam, then 74, dressed in blue coveralls, effortlessly climbed down the cramped 15-foot ladder into the Sindhurakshak’s steel innards. He belied concerns that he might call off the sortie after a right shoulder fracture he sustained a fortnight before.

Inside the Sindhurakshak, Kalam’s scientific temper prevailed over hunger. Displaying what one crewmember called a `phenomenal interest’, Kalam bubbled with questions about the black steel shark bought from Russia in 1997 including living conditions of its 52-man crew but only nibbled at the lavish South Indian vegetarian spread-- tamarind rice, curd rice, sambar, avial and stuffed bhindi-- laid out by her two cooks.

Kalam sat on Commander P S Bisht’s chair in the operations room and watched the submarine dive to 50 metres. He then ‘attacked’ the destroyer INS Rajput, some five nautical miles into the Bay of Bengal using a `water shot’, or a simulated torpedo. 

Two ministers of state for defence, Mr Pallam Raju and Mr Rao Inderjit Singh, the Naval Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, Vice-Admiral Sureesh Mehta, commanding-in-chief, Eastern Naval Command, accompanied the President.

After the undersea sojourn, Kalam asked the Navy to begin development of an indigenous “strategic” submarine. “Independent of whatever foreign collaboration, it is essential for the Indian Navy to launch the design, development of two types of submarines, one conventional, and the other strategic with long endurance capability,” Kalam said in the statement released to the press. “The experience during my stay on board has reinforced my perception of our submarine arm, as a professionally skilled and mentally robust fighting force,” he said.

Ministers of state for defence M Pallam Raju (L) and Rao Inderjit Singh arrive, suitably dressed.

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president Kalam with five former retired navy chiefs, then navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash and eastern naval commander Admiral Sureesh Mehta and senior and retired naval brass.

Kalam waves goodbye.

 last minute checks on the gangway. MoS’ Defence Singh and Raju can be seen on the Sindhurakshak’s sail, near the naval ensign

tugs stand by to pull the submarine out of its mooring.

gantry crane to remove the gangway.

The Sindhurakshak's crest with those of the CNS and C-in-C East.

Kalam waves as the Sindhurakshak casts off.

the crew of the Sindhurakshak watch the submarine cast away.

Cdr PS Bisht shows the President around the submarine.

An ecstatic Kalam steers the Sindhurakshak as Cdr Bisht shows him how. 

The Kashin class destroyer INS Rajput that was the target of a watershot torpedo attack launched by the President.