Nerpa nuclear submarine to join Russian Navy - top brass

[Neo]

Nerpa nuclear submarine to join Russian Navy - top brass​

18/ 11/ 2008

VLADIVOSTOK, November 18 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy will commission the Nerpa nuclear submarine, on which 20 people recently died, rather than sell or lease it to India, the chief of the General Staff told a Russian daily on Tuesday.

On November 8, while the submarine was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan, a crew member is believed to have entered the wrong data into the temperature sensor, which caused the fire safety system to release Freon gas into the living quarters.

"The sum of $650-780 million, which Rosoboronexport and the Amur Shipbuilding Plant had negotiated over a long period of time with the Indian Ministry of Defense, will now be found in Russia, either within the state weapons procurement program or somewhere else," the Rossiiskaya Gazeta quoted General of the Army Nikolai Makarov as saying.

The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991, but was suspended for over a decade due to a lack of funding.

Indian media have reported on various occasions that the construction of the submarine was partially financed by the Indian government. India has reportedly paid $650 million for a 10-year lease of the 12,000-ton submarine.

The submarine's reactor was not affected by the accident, which took place in the nose of the submarine, and radiation levels on board remained normal.

The Navy earlier said the sea trials of the submarine would continue after the investigation into the recent tragedy and certain technical adjustments in the fire safety system.

Nerpa will reportedly join other seven Akula class submarines in Russia's Pacific Fleet.

Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.

 

[Indicom]

Plz wait for more news by mid December during Mevedyev's visit.

 

[Niazi9]

Stroke of luck for the Indians. INS Chernobyl would have been another Widowmaker as with Russian submarine tradition.

 

[nitesh]

MOSCOW: The delivery of a Russian nuclear submarine to the Indian Navy next year may be delayed by several months because of the accident involving the vessel’s fire safety system, but the deal is still on, Russian defence experts have said.

Sea trials of the Nerpa submarine, to be leased to India, were interrupted when an accidental discharge of poisonous fire-fighting gas killed twenty and injured over 40 people aboard on November 8. Prosecutors have charged a crewmember with tampering with a temperature gauge which allegedly activated automatic fire extinguishers.

A leading Russian expert on weapon systems suggested that the sophisticated submarine control system, Molibden-I, installed on the Nerpa for the first time may have malfunctioned.


“In contrast to earlier versions, Molibden-I is a fully digital system that has not been proven yet on any other submarine. Some kind of a computer glitch cannot be ruled out,” editor of the authoritative Moscow Defence Brief magazine Mikhail Barabanov said.

The expert told The Hindu that the accident could delay the delivery of the Nerpa to the Indian Navy by several months. The submarine was to join the Indian Navy in August 2007, then the induction was rescheduled to August 2009, but that was before the accident.

Modernisation

Repeated delays may be due to a large number of new systems and technologies installed onboard the Nerpa, the latest in a series of Schucka–B or Akula-II (NATO designation) class attack submarines built in Russia. Experts refuted media reports that Russia had decided not to lease the Nerpa to India and keep it for its own Navy. The reports appeared after Chief of the Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said the submarine would be inducted in the Russian Navy early next year. Russian officials have consistently denied any plans to sell India a nuclear submarine.

“Induction in the Russian Navy is part of the export procedure,” said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for Analysis and Technologies, Russia’s leading arms export think tank. “The shipyard hands over a vessel to the Russian Navy, which then delivers it to the navy of the destination country.”

He ruled out the possibility of Russia pulling out of the leasing deal. In the light of the current problems with the Gorshkov aircraft carrier refit for India, cancellation of the submarine deal would deal a crushing blow to defence cooperation, Mr. Pukhov said.

“The acquisition of the Nerpa will give a quantum jump to India’s naval capabilities,” Mr. Barabanov said.
The Hindu : National : Submarine deal with India still on, say Russian defence experts

 

[nitesh]

MOSCOW: The delivery of a Russian nuclear submarine to the Indian Navy next year may be delayed by several months because of the accident involving the vessel’s fire safety system, but the deal is still on, Russian defence experts have said.

Sea trials of the Nerpa submarine, to be leased to India, were interrupted when an accidental discharge of poisonous fire-fighting gas killed twenty and injured over 40 people aboard on November 8. Prosecutors have charged a crewmember with tampering with a temperature gauge which allegedly activated automatic fire extinguishers.

A leading Russian expert on weapon systems suggested that the sophisticated submarine control system, Molibden-I, installed on the Nerpa for the first time may have malfunctioned.


“In contrast to earlier versions, Molibden-I is a fully digital system that has not been proven yet on any other submarine. Some kind of a computer glitch cannot be ruled out,” editor of the authoritative Moscow Defence Brief magazine Mikhail Barabanov said.

The expert told The Hindu that the accident could delay the delivery of the Nerpa to the Indian Navy by several months. The submarine was to join the Indian Navy in August 2007, then the induction was rescheduled to August 2009, but that was before the accident.

Modernisation

Repeated delays may be due to a large number of new systems and technologies installed onboard the Nerpa, the latest in a series of Schucka–B or Akula-II (NATO designation) class attack submarines built in Russia. Experts refuted media reports that Russia had decided not to lease the Nerpa to India and keep it for its own Navy. The reports appeared after Chief of the Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said the submarine would be inducted in the Russian Navy early next year. Russian officials have consistently denied any plans to sell India a nuclear submarine.

“Induction in the Russian Navy is part of the export procedure,” said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for Analysis and Technologies, Russia’s leading arms export think tank. “The shipyard hands over a vessel to the Russian Navy, which then delivers it to the navy of the destination country.”

He ruled out the possibility of Russia pulling out of the leasing deal. In the light of the current problems with the Gorshkov aircraft carrier refit for India, cancellation of the submarine deal would deal a crushing blow to defence cooperation, Mr. Pukhov said.

“The acquisition of the Nerpa will give a quantum jump to India’s naval capabilities,” Mr. Barabanov said.
The Hindu : National : Submarine deal with India still on, say Russian defence experts