New Delhi, Dec 1: Indian Navy admitted on Friday that nuclear submarine INS Chakra suffered damages a few weeks back but dispelled the rumour that some US officials were given access to the warship. Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said that INS Chakra’s SONAR dome was damaged and an inquiry has already been initiated.
INS Chakra was at Visakhapatnam when its SONAR, known as the eyes and ears of a submarine in the water, suffered damages. The SONAR dome could have been damaged either at sea when INS Chakra might have hit something or while docking at Vishakhapatnam.
INS Chakra’s SONAR dome is located in the forward portion of the warship just below the torpedo tubes. Admiral Lanba made the revelation at his annual press conference in New Delhi ahead of the Navy Day celebrations on December 4.
But he also cleared the air about Russian newspaper Kommersant’s report that a US team was allowed onboard INS Chakra which had termed it as a “scandal” as Russia had leased the nuclear powered submarine to India.
