JAKARTA (INDONESIA). The Indonesian military has reported that it is looking for a navy submarine it has lost contact with. There are 53 people on board. Military commander Hadi Tjahjanto reported that the submarine KRI Nanggala 402 was participating in an exercise when contact was lost and is believed to have disappeared some 95 kilometers north of Bali. The navy has deployed ships to patrol the area and has asked for help from Singapore and Australia, which have submarine rescue vessels.
According to local media reports, the navy believes the submarine sank in a depression at a depth of 700 meters. The causes of the accident are not yet known, but an oil stain has been identified in the waters where it would have sunk.
The German-built submarine, which had been in service since the early 1980s, was rehearsing for a missile launch exercise due to take place on Thursday. Indonesia currently has a fleet of five submarines and plans to put at least eight into operation by 2024. The country has faced increasing challenges to its maritime claims in recent years, including numerous incidents involving Chinese ships near the Natuna Islands. .