New Delhi, January 23
Russia has formally handed over Nerpa, a nuclear-powered submarine, to India. The submarine that has the capacity to fire nuclear warheads was today rechristened INS Chakra and it now flies the Indian Tricolour.
The submarine is on a 10-year lease to India under $ 900 million contract. The ceremony to name the submarine was conducted in the Far Eastern Primorye Territory. Russian submariners trained their Indian colleagues to handle Nerpa in the Pacific Ocean. The submarine is on its way to India and is expected to be here in the next few weeks, sources said
The vessel has the capacity to carry four 533mm torpedoes and four 650mm torpedos. Though the Russians, under the Missile Technology Control Regime, cannot give any N-tipped missiles with the submarine, India has its own missiles which match the size of the torpedo tubes available on Nerpa. The DRDO has already mimicked an under-water launch of a missile that could be fitted onto the indigenously produced INS Arihant.
After the US, Russia, France, Britain and China, India will become the sixth operator of nuclear submarines in the world.
Significantly for India, it will be almost after a gap of two decades that the Indian Navy will operate a nuclear-powered submarine. The country had earlier leased a submarine from Russia that was returned.
The submarine’s total displacement is 12,770 tonnes while its maximum speed is 30 knots. It can plunge into depths of 600 metres while its endurance to remain under water is 100 days. The under-water endurance of nuclear submarine is what makes it so potent. Diesel-electric powered submarines — which the Indian Navy uses — have to surface every 3-4 days to ‘breathe’. The Nerpa will have a crew of 73.
Reports from Moscow said that Indian Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra attended the event, besides United Shipbuilding Corporation head Roman Trotsenko, Eastern Military District commander Admiral Konstantin Sidenko and other officials.
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