India to give Kilo Class submarine to Myanmar

India is set to deliver a Kilo Class submarine to Myanmar Navy as part of growing defence cooperation between the two neighbouring countries, said Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.

He was addressing a weekly media conference on Thursday.

INS Sindhuvir would be the first ever submarine for the Myarmar Navy.

Anurag Srivastava, however, did not clarify when the submarine will be delivered to Myanmar.

A report of Indian media outlet Zee News says a kilo class submarine has a displacement of 3,000 tonnes, a length of 74 metres and a beam of 10 metres. It is manned by a crew of 15 officers and 60 sailors and is equipped with an array of weapons and sensors which enables the submarine to participate in various fleet, tactical and theatre level exercises.

Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and army chief general Manoj Mukund Naravane went on a two-day visit to Myanmar in the first week of this month. The statement the Indian foreign ministry issued about the visit did not mention anything about the submarine.

Anurag Srivastava said India will deliver the submarine “in accordance with our vision of SAGAR -- Security and Growth for All in the Region, and also in line with our commitment to building capacities and self-reliance in all our neighbouring countries,” when he was asked about the statement.

He also said this “is a major step towards building and consolidating foreign cooperation.”

The Russia-made submarine was added to the Indian Navy in 1988. The submarine has been modernised by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

The Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson further said India has been invited in the virtual conference the US, the UK, the European Union and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will organise on 22 October to address the Rohingya crisis.

Earlier, the United Nations called for US$ 1 billion assistance for the Rohingyas displaced from their homeland in Rakhine state of Myanmar and currently living in camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. But, not even half of the amount has been collected because of COVID-19 situation and some other reasons. The goal of the virtual conference is to collect as much money as possible for the Rohingyas and utilise it.

Regarding this, Anurag Srivastava said India wants quick, safe and permanent return of displaced people of the Rakhine state. This is why India is giving assistance to both the countries.