Australia joins hunt for missing Indonesian submarine off Bali

Australia will assist in a desperate search for a missing Indonesian submarine, which vanished with 53 crew on board during military exercises near Bali.

Australia has been asked to help find a missing Indonesian submarine after the vessel and 53 crew disappeared yesterday morning off the coast of Bali.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the situation was “very distressing” and the Australian government was willing to help the search efforts.

“We will help our neighbours in any way we can,” Ms Payne told 2GB this morning.

The submarine known as KRI Nanggala-402 was doing a torpedo drill in waters off the north coast of Bali when it vanished about 4:30am local time on Wednesday.

It had requested permission to dive and contact was then lost, authorities said.

An oil spill was spotted in waters where it had submerged with 53 crew on board shortly before losing contact, the country’s defence ministry said Wednesday

It was believed to be in waters about 700m deep.

An image released by the Indonesia military of the Cakra class submarine KRI Nanggala. a. Indonesian navy ships are are searching a patch of ocean off Bali for the missing vessel. Picture: AFP

Two warships and some 400 personnel have been sent out to hunt for the sub, while a third vessel was deployed from the capital Jakarta.

The navy said it has not pinpointed the submarine’s location but narrowed the search down based on the spill.

The oil “could indicate damage on the body” of the submarine, navy spokesman Julius Widjojono told MetroTV.

Australia and nearby Singapore had been asked to help find the missing sub, one of Indonesia’s five remaining underwater vessels from a former fleet of 12.

The German-built model has served in more than a dozen navies around the world over the past half century. The vessel was most recently refitted in 2012 in South Korea.

Indonesian First Admiral Julius Widjojono told AFP crews would have to face the depths of the Bali Sea to find the submarine.

“ We know the area but it’s quite deep,” Mr Widjojono said.

Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala-402, which is missing with 53 sailors on board. Picture: Alex Widojo/Getty Images

The Australian Defence Force did not immediately respond to The Daily Telegraph’s request for comment before publication.

The cry for help comes just days after the ADF announced it would ramp up naval efforts in the Indo-Pacific region, with the HMAS Ballarat and Parramatta setting sail with 350 crew on April 19.

The two warships will meet in Australia’s northern waters before being deployed across southwest and northeast Asia to work on security and naval partnerships with surrounding nations in a two-month stint.

It marks the second deployment of its kind this year as China continues to occupy the nearby South China Sea.