Russian N-sub to arrive in India in second half of 2010 news

[navtrek]

Russia will lease its latest Akula-II class K-152 'Nerpa' nuclear-powered attack submarine to India for a period of ten years sometime in the second half of 2010, the official Itar-Tass news agency quoted an unnamed Russian defence ministry official as saying on Tuesday.

Akula-II class nuclear submarine "The lease of the Nerpa nuclear submarine to India for 10 years ... will take place this summer or autumn," the unidentified official told the agency.

The handing over of the 12,000 tonne submarine will take place after both countries sign an agreement of acceptance.

The submarine is to be inducted into the Indian Navy as INS Chakra - the same name as given to an earlier Charlie-II class nuclear submarine leased by India from the erstwhile Soviet Union in the period 1988-91.

The officials also said an Indian crew would visit Russia's military base near the far eastern port of Vladivostok to take the 'Nerpa' out on trial ahead of the official handover.

The handing over of the submarine to the Indian Navy was expected to take place immediately after the submarine was inducted into the Russian Navy after completion of its sea trial in December 2009. The delay is now being attributed to rectification of flaws discovered in course of the trials.

"Additional adjustments are planned for the Nerpa in February 2010 to rectify the flaws revealed during the latest tests," the official said.

Overall, the trials were said to be successful.

India reportedly paid $650 million for a 10-year lease.

Akula-II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines. They are armed with conventional torpedoes and cruise missiles.

The submarine suffered a fatal accident in course of an earlier round of sea trials in November 2008 in the Sea of Japan that killed 20 people and injured 21 others on board the vessel. The submarine underwent repairs thereafter.

 

[navtrek]

Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India: report

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russia will lease one of its newest nuclear-powered submarines to India in the second half of this year, Itar-Tass news agency quoted a Russian Defence Ministry official as saying on Tuesday.

The submarine to be leased is the Nerpa, which had accident in the Sea of Japan in November 2008 in which 20 people were killed.

The Russian military had previously denied media reports that the submarine was to be leased to India.

"The lease of the Nerpa nuclear submarine to India for 10 years ... will take place this summer or autumn," the unidentified official told the agency.

The Nerpa, armed with conventional weapons, was laid down in 1993 but was launched and started sea trials only in 2008 due to the piecemeal funding of its construction.

The submarine "successfully concluded sea trials last December", the Defence Ministry official told Itar-Tass. Contacted by Reuters, a Defence Ministry official could not immediately confirm the report.

Citing its source, Itar-Tass said the submarine would be handed over to an Indian crew in the port of Vladivostok, Russia's military base and the main gateway to the Pacific.

Russia, India's close economic and political partner since Soviet days, is one of the world's major arms exporters.

It has a fleet of nuclear-powered but conventionally armed submarines besides its strategic nuclear-armed vessels, which are not sold abroad. --REUTERS

Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India: report

 

[navtrek]

 

[navtrek]

Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India

NEW DELHI/MOSCOW - Russia will lease to India in 2010 its new Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine, Russian defence officials and Indian naval officers said on Tuesday.



The Russian military had previously denied media reports the Nerpa, in which 20 people died during testing in the Sea of Japan in November 2008, was to go to India.

"The lease of the Nerpa nuclear submarine to India for 10 years . . . will take place this summer or autumn," an unidentified Russian Defence Ministry official told Russian Itar-Tass newsagency.

The deal was confirmed by Indian officers.

"We will soon receive the submarine from Russia," a senior Indian navy officer, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

"We are very keen to get the Nerpa as soon as possible as it will add further teeth to the navy's growing strength," a defence ministry official said.

There was no information as to the cost of the deal.

India last July unveiled its first nuclear-powered submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles. However, the Arihant, the first of two similar Indian submarines that are to be built with technical help from Russia, will not be operationally active before 2015, defence officials said.

The country already has aircraft and missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

The Nerpa is the latest of a class of attack submarines codenamed "Akula" by NATO which are armed with conventional torpedoes and cruise missiles. The Nerpa was laid down in 1993 but was only launched and started sea trials in 2008 due to the piecemeal funding of its construction.

A senior Defence Ministry spokesman told Reuters the Nerpa had been accepted by Russia's navy at the end of last year but added: "More trials are set for February to eliminate the drawbacks uncovered by navy experts during earlier tests."

In November 2008 the Nerpa was on sea trials when its fire extinguishing system went off unexpectedly. Twenty people died after inhaling the toxic gas used as a fire suppressant. The accident was the deadliest to hit Russia's navy since 2000, when the Kursk nuclear submarine exploded beneath the Barents Sea in 2000, killing all 118 sailors on board. Itar-Tass said the submarine would be handed over to an Indian crew in the port of Vladivostok, Russia's military base and the main gateway to the Pacific.

Russia, India's close economic and political partner since Soviet days, is one of the world's major arms exporters. It has a fleet of nuclear-powered but conventionally armed submarines alongside its strategic nuclear-armed vessels, which are not sold abroad.

Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India

 

[Chanakyaa]

So indian ocean will go nuclear in 2010.
Gr8 news.
Desperate abt arihant now.