India to Lease a Second Nuclear Submarine From Russia

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

The Indian Navy will soon have another nuclear submarine. The government has decided to lease a second nuclear submarine from Russia, top Defence Ministry officials have told NDTV.

Currently, India operates an 8,140-tonne Akula Class submarine - renamed the INS Chakra - that was leased in 2011 from Russia for a period of 10 years, at a cost of about USD 970 million. (INS Chakra: Top 10 Must-Know Facts)

The lease conditions allow India to fire conventional weapons only from the platform. The second leased submarine will also be the same class and is expected to come with the same conditions.

India is looking at the hull of the Iribis - a Russian Akula class submarine - that was never completed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

Yesterday, the indigenously-built nuclear powered INS Arihant started its sea trials, and is expected to join the fleet in another two years. India is in the process of building three more nuclear powered submarines. The keel of the second Arihant class submarine has already been laid. (INS Arihant, First Made-in-India Nuclear Submarine, Begins Sea Trials)

The decision to lease a second submarine has been taken on two counts: One with three more nuclear submarines coming up, the Indian Navy needs to train manpower. Moreover, with the Indian submarine fleet depleted, the leased submarine will also pitch in to bridge the capability gap. India has about 13 conventional submarines and one nuclear, out of which only half are available for deployment at any given time.

To protect its maritime interests, India needs a minimum of 24 submarines. However, delays in implementing the 30 year submarine plan, drawn up in 1988 which proposed to procure six submarines from the West and another six from Russia and then amalgamate the technology and come up with indigenous design, has resulted in India not having a credible sea denial capability.

Plans to buy additional Scorpene-class submarines from France were also turned down by the current government. Instead, the Government wants submarines to be made in India. The Navy has been asked to identify an Indian ship yard that can build submarines after acquiring technology from a foreign partner.

India to Lease a Second Nuclear Submarine From Russia

 

[Koovie]

Awesome ! This is going to further enhance our naval power in the region.

And yet another proof that Russia is our most important and trusted partner!

Long live our relationship

 

[nik141991]

good news

 

[kaykay]

Awesome news. Will add a great punch to our Navy.

 

[Didact]

This is one of those projects that should've been cleared last year at the latest. I believe the Russians have been offering it since 2009-10(?). But let's ignore the delays for the moment and focus on this sub.

There appears to be a certain degree of confirmation that this sub won't be the usual Ackula II, as was the case in K-152. The Russians have offered, or perhaps the Indians have requested, or perhaps both, several key modifications to this ancient hull, to bring it up to modern SSN standards.

INS Chakra III will be re-constructed around the hull of the Iribis, taking advantage of the developments in Russian Nuclear Sub technology in the Yasen class SSNs. That would imply the Iribis being a Yasen in the skeleton of the Ackula.

Then there is the question of a VLS system. From the head of the Malachite Design Bureau Vladimir Dorofeev, "The fourth generation of Yasen class submarine has been tested successfully, including the firing of a cruise missile from the submerged vessel. We can use that experience for the second Indian submarine. The launch was done using a new vertical launch system that can be used for the next submarine," So we know that VLS is on offer to us.

But all that aside, the most important point to note is that this hull isn't coming anytime soon. From the Nerpa experience we know that it took them some 8 years to deliver the SSN. That sub was without any modification. With all the modifications on the Iribis, the earlier the INS Chakra III might enter service with the IN is 2022-25.

 

[sathya]

This is one of those projects that should've been cleared last year at the latest. I believe the Russians have been offering it since 2009-10(?). But let's ignore the delays for the moment and focus on this sub.

There appears to be a certain degree of confirmation that this sub won't be the usual Ackula II, as was the case in K-152. The Russians have offered, or perhaps the Indians have requested, or perhaps both, several key modifications to this ancient hull, to bring it up to modern SSN standards.

INS Chakra III will be re-constructed around the hull of the Iribis, taking advantage of the developments in Russian Nuclear Sub technology in the Yasen class SSNs. That would imply the Iribis being a Yasen in the skeleton of the Ackula.

Then there is the question of a VLS system. From the head of the Malachite Design Bureau Vladimir Dorofeev, "The fourth generation of Yasen class submarine has been tested successfully, including the firing of a cruise missile from the submerged vessel. We can use that experience for the second Indian submarine. The launch was done using a new vertical launch system that can be used for the next submarine," So we know that VLS is on offer to us.

But all that aside, the most important point to note is that this hull isn't coming anytime soon. From the Nerpa experience we know that it took them some 8 years to deliver the SSN. That sub was without any modification. With all the modifications on the Iribis, the earlier the INS Chakra III might enter service with the IN is 2022-25.

Time frame may be 2021-22
They are discussing about extending the current lease or leasing a new one.
So that we ll have one continued in service..

 

[Sam Manekshaw]

Awesome ! This is going to further enhance our naval power in the region.

And yet another proof that Russia is our most important and trusted partner!

Long live our relationship

such arrangements has their own good kickbacks in relationship.

 

[jha]

There is an option to further the lease or, buy the Submarine at the end of 10 years. Leasing another Akula Class will surely boost the Submarine strength and will be good for "training purposes".

 

[Sam Manekshaw]

There is an option to further the lease or, buy the Submarine at the end of 10 years. Leasing another Akula Class will surely boost the Submarine strength and will be good for "training purposes".

yes in few decades our sub-surface strength will be competitive to tackle any adventure by enemy.

 

[Archie]

The Decision should have been taken in 2011, now by the time we get this Sub, Chakra II would already be 10 Yrs old and her lease would be about to expire.

Unless their is an under the table negotiations going on, under which The lease of Nerpa will be extended by another 10-15 years, once the current lease expire.

This will ensure that we will have 2 SSNs in service, by the time our first domestic SSN enters service.

As far as SSBNs are concerned, INS Arihant will enter service in 2016, after completing its Sea trials, INS Arhidaman on the other hand, could enter service in 2020, third SSBN could take till 2022-24

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Nuclear submarines are so powerful. There is not a Navy on Earth that does not fear them.

 

[Trawllu]

are there two porposoals

1. Another Nuke Sub on lease ? (maybe why not yasen class)
2. Buying out the hull of the Iribis and converting it into a indian design sub (a sort of experimentiation with our own indian larger design )?

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

are there two porposoals

1. Another Nuke Sub on lease ? (maybe why not yasen class)
2. Buying out the hull of the Iribis and converting it into a indian design sub (a sort of experimentiation with our own indian larger design )?

Yasen class nuclear submarines are real monsters.

But how much would it cost to lease it? It costs $1.6 billion for Russia to build one.

 

[Trawllu]

Yasen class nuclear submarines are real monsters.

But how much would it cost to lease it? It costs $1.6 billion for Russia to build one.

if we are leasing one / two do costs really matter that much

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

if we are leasing one / two do costs really matter that much

I guess not.

Yasen class would be worth it even at a high cost.