Russia Postpones Delivery of SSN Nerpa to India

Russia will hand over SSN Nerpa to India for lease on Jan 23, said an informed Indian military source on Jan 14.

“The parties have signed all appropriate documents, and acceptance panel has finished its work. The date of flag-hoisting ceremony to be held in the Far East is set on Jan 23. When the blanket hiding the sub’s new name – INS Chakra – is pulled off, the submarine will head for Indian coast. The journey will take at least 20 days. Indian crew is already working in the sub backed up by ten Russian submariners”, said the source of Interfax.

Earlier on, an informed source told that Russia would lease SSN Nerpa to Indian Navy on Jan 19. According to the $650-mln contract, Russia leases nuclear-powered submarine Nerpa to India for 10 years.

SSN Nerpa was supposed to join Indian Navy in 2008. However, during sea trials in Nov 2008 an accident happened to the sub due to unauthorized operation of automatic firefighting system; the tragedy claimed 20 lives. Delivery date was revised and then postponed many times because of non-availability of onboard combat systems.

In Indian Navy, the submarine will obtain the name of Chakra – that was the first nuclear-powered submarine leased by the Soviet Union to India in 1988 for 3 years.

Project 971I Schuka-B (known in NATO as Akula) SSN Nerpa is a third-generation submarine armed with torpedoes, rocket torpedoes, and Granat cruise missiles with flight range of 3,200 km. Due to restrictions provided by international agreements on missile technology non-proliferation, a submarine leased to India must not be armed with long-range missiles. For this reason, the sub has 300-km Club-S missile system instead of Granat.

Displacement is 8,140/12,770 tons; max speed is 30 knots; test depth is 600 meters; endurance is 100 days; crew is 73 men. In total, 15 subs of this project have been built since 1984.

In 1988 India took on lease Soviet SSN K-43 Chakra (Project 670 Skat) for 3 years. In 1991 the lease term was over and Soviet government declined to prolong the leasing contract, allegedly, under coercion of the US Administration.

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Naval Today Staff, January 17, 2012; Image: RusNavy