Navy commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said that Russia will transfer the K-152 Nerpa attack submarine to India on a 10-year lease by the end of 2011.He said that “The Indian crew is absolutely prepared for operating the submarine,”
Last month, a top official of the Defense Cooperation Service said the Indian naval crew was already on board the K-152 Nerpa nuclear submarine and was carrying out pre-delivery trials on the high seas.
India will pay between $650 to $900 million for a 10-year lease of the 12,000-ton K-152 Nerpa, an Akula II class nuclear-powered attack submarine.
Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.
In January 2004 India and Russia signed the lease contract estimated at some $900 million.
The Nerpa was scheduled to be introduced into the Indian Navy as INS Chakra by mid-2008 but one accident delayed that process.
On November 8, 2008, while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials, in the Sea of Japan its onboard fire suppression system activated, releasing a deadly gas into the sleeping quarters.
Three crewmembers and 17 shipyard workers were killed.
There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, onboard the vessel at the time.
Following repairs, which cost an estimated 1.9 billion rubles ($65 million), the submarine had been cleared for final sea trials.
K-152 Nerpa is nuclear-propelled but it will not be armed with its long-range nuclear-tipped missiles due to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
The Nerpa will be armed with torpedoes and 300-km Klub-S cruise missiles.
Why India is leasing K-152 Nerpa Nuclear Submarine from Russia?
Important reason is that Indian Navy will get hands-on training to operate the nuclear submarines, the Nerpa will be used to provide protection to INS Arihant, which will be the launch platform for nukes after it becomes operational.
INS Arihant will become operational by 2012.
INS Arihant is presently berthed under a shed at the Ship Building Centre (SBC) near the Naval Dockyard in Vishakhapatnam and will undergo all the standard harbour and sea trials common to all nuclear submarines.
The crew has been trained at the Kalpakkam training nuclear reactor and in Russia
INS Chakra is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy before October 2011
Complete Details of the K-152 Nerpa nuclear submarine –
Construction of k-152 Nerpa Nuclear submarine started in year 1993 but due to lack of funding construction was suspended and delayed.
After that in 2004 Russia signed lease agreement with India and once again the construction of K-152 submarine started.
1.
NATO NAME - Akula II
2.
Nerpa is the Project 971 third-generation submarine
3.
Class, Type - nuclear-powered attack submarine
4.
Builder: Komsomolsk-on-Amur
5.
Launch in year – October 2008
6.
Commissioned that is entered in Russia Navy – 2009
7.
Displacement: 8,140 tonnes (8,010 long tons) surfaced
8.
Length: 108.0–111.7 m (354.3–366.5 ft) (sources vary)
9.
Beam: 13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
10.
Draught: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
11.
power plant – 190 MW OK-650M Pressurized water nuclear reactor
12.
power plant – 2 auxiliary electric engines 410 hp each
13.
Power plant – 2 auxiliary diesel engines 750 hp each
14.
Speed – surface – 20 knots, submerged – 35 knots
15.
Depth – test depth – 480, crush depth – 600m
16.
Endurance – 100 days
17.
Crew – 73 , 31 officers
18.
Reactor – 190 MW OK-650M
19.
Steam turbine – with 43,000 hp
Armament of the K-152 Nerpa nuclear submarine that is INS Chakra –
1.
4x533mm torpedo tubes
2.
4x650mm torpedo tubes
3.
storage space for up to 40 torpedoes/mines/missiles
Nerpa means seal in Russian.
Nerpa is the Russian word for the Baikal seal, and chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning disk, wheel, or in traditional Indian medicine, an energy vortex associated with the body.
Watch the video of K-152 Nerpa nuclear submarine
Reality views by sm –
Keyword - K-152 Nerpa, nuclear submarine, Indian Navy 10 Year Lease INS CHAKRA $650
$900
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