29 October 2008

"Russian" or "Indian" - new nuke sub undergoing sea trials

A Russian shipyard has completed a new nuclear attack sub that's now undergoing sea trials:
The Amur shipyard in Russia's Far East said on Monday it had started sea trials of a newly built nuclear-powered attack submarine, which according to media reports may be leased to India.
The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991 but has been suspended for over a decade due to lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.
'The submarine, built under a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry, has been moved from the shipyard in Komsomolsk-on-Amur to a maintenance facility in the Primorye Territory and fitted with all necessary equipment. At present it is undergoing sea trials,' a spokesman for the shipyard told RIA Novosti.
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.

What's the Akula II sport?
According to Wikipedia
Akula-II submarines
The Akula-II Vepr is the only Akula-II known to be in service at present. The Gepard is in service and was launched a short time after the Kursk submarine disaster, along with the halted Kuguar (Akula-I) and Rys. The 1999-2000 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships listed the Akula-IIs then as Viper ("vepr" actually means wild boar in Russian), commissioned July 1995, Gepard, launched 1999 and expected to commission in 2000, and Nerpa, launched in May 1994 and expected to commission in 1999. Another source has Nerpa listed as having been under construction for eleven years, and effectively having its building suspended.
The Gepard is known to have a slightly smaller and streamlined Towed Array Sonar Dispenser than the other submarines of the class. She also appears to have a longer sail than other Akula class submarines. President Vladimir Putin was on board Gepard during his commission after the Kursk incident.

And in the same article
Lease to India
India is reportedly paying two billion dollars for the completion of two Akula-II class submarines which were 40-60% completed. Three hundred Indian Navy personnel are being trained in Russia for the operation of these submarines. India has finalized a deal with Russia, in which at the end of the lease of these submarines, it has an option to buy them.The first submarine will be named INS Chakra.
Whereas the Russian Navy's Akula-II submarine is equipped with 28 nuclear-capable cruise missiles with a striking range of 3,000 kilometers, the Indian version was reportedly expected to be armed with the 300 km range 3M-54 Klub nuclear-capable missiles. Missiles with ranges greater than 300 kilometers cannot be exported due to arms control restrictions, since Russia is a signatory to the MTCR treaty.


By: Widow 6-7

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