The Indonesian Navy reported on Saturday that objects from the missing submarine had been found in waters off Bali, indicating that the ship with 53 crew members has sunk and there is no hope of finding survivors.
Navy Chief Yudo Margono said rescuers found several items from the KRI Nanggala 402, which disappeared after its last reported dive on Wednesday, including parts of a torpedo straightener, a bottle of grease believed to be used to grease the periscope and prayer rugs.
"With the authentic evidence that we have found to be believed to be from the submarine, we have moved from the 'lost submarine' phase to that of 'sunken submarine," Margono said at a news conference in Bali where the objects were displayed. found.
Indonesian authorities said earlier that the oxygen from the missing submarine would run out early on Saturday.
The authorities of this country reported on Friday that the submarine had enough oxygen for its crew until three in the afternoon (Eastern Time) on Friday.
"We will maximize the effort today, until the cutoff time tomorrow at 3 am," military spokesman Major General Achmad Riyadh told reporters on Friday.
A press conference has been scheduled for Saturday morning.
KRI Nanggala-402 disappeared Wednesday morning after rehearsing a torpedo drill some 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of the island of Bali.
A helicopter later detected an oil slick near the dive's starting position, the Indonesian Navy reported.
"The family is in good shape and continues to pray," Ratih Wardhani, the sister of crew member Wisnu Subiyantoro, 49, told The Associated Press news agency.
"We are optimistic that the Nanggala can be rescued with the entire crew."
Twenty-four Indonesian ships and a patrol plane were mobilized for the search, focusing on the area where the oil slick was found. An American reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8 Poseidon, was expected to join the search on Saturday and that a second Australian ship will be joining soon.
"These two Australian vessels will help expand the search area and extend the duration of the search effort," said Australian Navy Rear Admiral Mark Hammond.
The search resumed on Friday, reinforced by the arrival of an Australian warship equipped with a sonar.
The Indonesian Navy sent two ships and several helicopters to search that area.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Twitter Thursday that the United States was "sending air assets to aid the search" at the invitation of the Indonesian government.
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The Navy originally said it believed the 44-year-old ship had sunk more than 2,000 feet;
any depth greater than 1,640 feet could be fatal.
But hopes rose late Thursday when the strongly magnetic element was discovered between 164 and 328 feet underwater.
With information from AP and NBC News.