Singapore sends MV Swift Rescue to look for Indonesia's missing submarine

By Massita Ahmad

SINGAPORE, April 22 -- The Republic of Singapore Navy’s MV Swift Rescue was dispatched expeditiously Wednesday afternoon in the search for a missing Indonesian submarine, KRI Nanggala 402.

MV Swift Rescue, a submarine rescue vessel, was deployed “as fast as she could get ready, after our Navy Chief received a request for assistance from his Indonesian counterpart,” said Singapore’s Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen in Facebook update today.

Ng said a medical team was also added to the regular crew in the event that hyperbaric care would be needed.

“Our military ties with Indonesia are very close, built up over the years of bilateral exercises and engagements at all levels.  It is only natural that we do whatever we can to assist in times like this.

“The site for search operations, near Bali, is more than 1,500 km away and waters are deep, which is why MV Swift Rescue sailed off as soon as she could,” said Ng.

In the meantime, Ng noted that “fervent prayers and hopes go out to the crew of KRI Nanggala, for their safety and resilience and also to the search and locate teams of the Indonesian Navy currently on site.”

Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) has arranged for the deployment of its rescue ship MV Mega Bakti at 7 am this morning for the search and rescue (SAR) operation of the submarine.

A total of 54 crews consisting of seven TLDM officers and members, threeMalaysian Armed Forces (ATM) medical officers and staff, and 44 crews of MV Mega Bakti are involved in the SAR operation.

MV Mega Bakti has sailed from the operations jetty of the Submarine Command Headquarters, Teluk Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and is expected to reach the SAR location on April 25, at 3 pm.

The Indonesian Navy submarine was reported to have lost contact while conducting training in the waters off the north of Bali.

According to media reports, the Indonesian navy was tracking the 1978 German-made KRI Nanggala-402, which had 53 crew members onboard when communications were lost at 4.30 am in the waters off Bali.

The submarine was said to have been conducting torpedo training.

-- BERNAMA