Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Yudho Margono said a scan had detected 850 meters below, the 44-year-old KRI Nanggala-402 submarine, which lost contact on Wednesday (April 21) as it prepared to conduct a torpedo drill. But he said the search would continue since debris had been found.
"In the past few days, to this day we have found several pieces of debris at the location where the submarine was last seen, while diving. These are believed to be parts or components that were attached to the submarine. These would not have come off of the ship if there had not been pressure from outside, or there was a crack in the torpedo launcher," he told reporters, adding that he expected the dive in depth taken by the vessel had led to cracks.
Rescuers have sent over dozen search helicopters and ships to the area where contact was lost, with the United States, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and India providing assistance
According to Yudho, the submarine had only enough air to last until around dawn on Saturday if it had lost power, but that this could be stretched for five days if the vessel had retained electricity. But experts say this assessment is optimistic and express concerns that the submarine may have been crushed by water pressure.
The Bali Sea can reach depths of more than 1,500 meters.
Indonesia operates five submarines - two German-built Type 209s including Nanggala and three newer South Korean vessels. It has been seeking to modernize its defense capabilities but some of its equipment is old and there have been fatal accidents in recent years.