Russia Hands Over Nerpa Nuclear Sub to Indian Navy

The Indian Navy has been handed over the Russian K-152 Nerpa nuclear-powered attack submarine. Under a $900 million contract, the sub has been leased to the Indian Navy for ten years, at the end of which the Navy may choose to purchase it. Indian submariners were trained by their Russian counterparts to steer the Nerpa in the Pacific Ocean. The Nerpa will be renamed the INS Chakra. The handing over ceremony took place in the Far Eastern Primorye Territory, which was attended by Indian ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra, United Shipbuilding Corporation head Roman Trotsenko, Eastern Military District commander Admiral Konstantin Sidenko and other officials. India is now the sixth operator of nuclear submarines in the world, after the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China, though it previously leased another Russian submarine which was then returned. Whereas the Russian Navy's Akula-II could be equipped with 28 nuclear-capable cruise missiles with a striking range of 3,000 km, 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 km cannot be exported due to arms control restrictions, since Russia is a signatory to the MTCR treaty. The submarine’s displacement is 8,140/12,770 tons. Its maximum speed is 30 knots, maximum operating depth, 600 m; its endurance is 100 days with a crew of 73. The vessel is armed with four 533mm torpedo tubes and four 650mm torpedo tubes. In an incident 2008, twenty sailors died on the Nerpa after the vessel’s fire-suppression systems were accidentally triggered during sea trials, releasing toxic gases.