India to Receive Nuclear Submarine on Lease from Russia by Month-End

NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- India is all set to receive the much-awaited Akula-II class 'Nerpa' nuclear attack submarine from Russia by the month end on a 10-year lease, sources said.

The vessel, which will be renamed as INS Chakra, is capable to remain underwaters for months, and equipped with 28-nuclear-capable cruise missiles with a striking range of 3,000 kilometres.

Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted sources that the Indian version submarine, will be armed with the 300-km Club nuclear-capable missiles.

According to earlier reports, the lease contract is estimated to be worth between US$650 to US$900 million.

India had funded the completion of the Nerpa nuclear submarine at Amur Shipyard in 1991 before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Nerpa was laid down at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard in 1993, but its completion was delayed by nearly a decade due to a lack of funds caused by the economic crisis of the early 1990s. -- NNN-BERNAMA