Myanmar officially inducted the Kilo Class Submarine, ‘INS Sindhuvir’ into its Navy under the name ‘UMS Minye Theinkhathu’. The submarine was handed over by India to Myanmar in October, 2020. It is the 1st & only submarine of the Myanmar Navy.
i.It is also the 1st time that India has given a Submarine to any other country. It was given to Myanmar under India’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
ii.The Submarine was inducted during 73rd anniversary(December 25) of the Myanmar Navy. Myanmar now becomes the fifth country in south east Asia to possess a submarine after Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
iii.It is a Soviet-era kilo class submarine and has served Indian Navy since 1988.
iv.India Ambassador to Myanmar Saurabh Kumar along with Myanmar Navy’s officials were present during the Induction ceremony.
Key Points:
i.The submarine is named after Myanmar’s national hero Minye Theinkhathu.
ii.It is capable of operating at a depth of 300 metres and has a top speed of 20 knots.
iii.It has a displacement of 3, 000 tonnes, a length of 74 metres and has capability of staying underwater for almost 45 days.
iv.The modernization of the submarine was carried out by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
v.The submarine is equipped with 40 Km range wire-guided torpedoes & 3M-54 Klub anti-ship cruise missiles.
Kilo Class Submarines:
i.Kilo Class is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines and is part of active operations in India, China, Iran, Russia.
ii.It has been designed by Rubin Central Maritime Design Bureau, St Petersburg, Russia.
Significance:
i.The move comes as India is aiming to curb China’s influence along the Indian Ocean.
ii.China has provided submarines to Bangladesh, Thailand & Pakistan.
iii.India and Myanmar share a 725-kilometre maritime boundary along the Bay of Bengal.
Recent Related News:
i.On August 28, 2020, India granted the 4th tranche of $5 million to Myanmar for the development of the India-Myanmar Border Area.
About Myanmar:
Capital– Naypyidaw
Currency– Kyat
President– U Win Myint
