India’s New Delhi TV reported on the 15th that India will deliver the refurbished Kilo-class submarine “INS Sindhuvir” to the Myanmar Navy. This submarine was purchased by India from Russia in the 1980s.
At a press conference on Thursday, Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “As far as we understand, this will be the first submarine of the Myanmar Navy. This is in line with India’ The security and growth of all people in the region’ vision (“SAGAR”, meaning “ocean” in Hindi, Modi interprets it as the first letter of English “Security and Growth for All in the Region”) is also in line with our opinion All neighboring countries are committed to capacity building and self-reliance. Cooperation in the maritime field is part of India’s diverse contacts with Myanmar.”
Just a few days ago, the Indian Army Chief of Staff (equivalent to the Army Commander) Manoj Mukund Narawan and the Indian Foreign Secretary Hash Waldhan Silingra visited Myanmar. During the visit, the Indian government has transferred this conventional submarine refurbished by the Indian state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Co., Ltd. to Myanmar, and the Indian side also agreed to provide artillery, tanks, body armor and other equipment to the Myanmar army.
According to reports, the submarine can be used soon after the upgrade. Russia has made the necessary permits for the transfer of Kilo-class submarines. “Sindhooway” will be equipped with an Indian-made system to help train the Myanmar Navy.
The Indian government emphasized the importance it attaches to Myanmar in a statement, stating: “India, in accordance with its’neighboring country priority’ and’action eastward’ policies, attaches great importance to its relations with Myanmar. In recent years, the two sides have strengthened their Cooperation with trade, development projects, energy, capacity building, defense and other fields…”
According to Indian media, India has been training naval personnel for Myanmar. Last year, the Indian and Myanmar navies conducted the 2019 joint military exercise (IMNEX-2019) in the Bay of Bengal.
During this visit, India also announced that it would provide US$2 million to build a border bridge in Myanmar’s Chin State to increase the economic connection between India’s Mizoram State and Myanmar.
It is reported that the Kilo class submarine has a displacement of 3,000 tons, a length of 74 meters, and a width of 10 meters. It is operated by 15 officers and 60 sailors. It is equipped with a series of weapons and sensors and can participate in various levels of combat. Kilo-class submarines are currently in use by Indian, Chinese, Russian and Iranian naval forces and are designed by the St. Petersburg Rubin Central Maritime Design Bureau.
