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| The submarine - one of five in Indonesia's fleet - disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off Bali. (File photo by= AFP/Handout) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] An official said on Thursday (May 6) that three Chinese vessels, one with a manned submersible capable of descending to 10,000m, have arrived in Indonesian waters to help retrieve a submarine that sank and broke apart last month, killing 53 people on board, Reuters said.
Indonesian navy officials and experts have acknowledged how difficult the salvage operation will be to recover the Nanggala 402 submarine lying on the sea bed off Bali. "What's most important is lifting the biggest parts of the ship from the seabed," military spokesman Djawara H T Whimbo said on Thursday, adding that China would be involved in the evacuation and the lifting of the Nanggala. Curie Maharani, a defense analyst at Bina Nusantara University in Jakarta, said receiving assistance from China over the submarine could be sensitive.
Indonesian security officials have previously voiced suspicion about Chinese maritime activities, amid increased militarisation by Beijing in waters around Southeast Asia that have raised regional tension. China has also sent a rescue boat, also with deep-water submersibles, and a tugboat to help in the operation. Indonesia is seeking further assistance from its oil and gas industry regulator SKK Migas to provide a ship with a crane to lift heavy parts, the navy said.
