Russia on Monday handed over the nuclear-powered Akula-II class Russian navy submarine K-152 Nerpa to the Indian Navy and the submarine was then formally inducted into the Indian Navy.
According to reports, the submarine was handed over by Russia on a 10-year lease for the Indian Navy. The Nerpa submarine, that will be known as the INS Chakra, is a Submersible Ship Nuclear-Powered (SSN) submarine and is seen as bringing immense strategic benefits to India as the country heads for nuclear triad capability (the ability to launch nuclear strikes from land, sea and air).
The Indian Navy is expected to arm the nuclear-powered submarine with torpedoes and land-attack missiles that have a range of upto 300 kms. However, sources said India’s nuclear-triad will be truly completed only when India’s indigenous nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant, a Submersible Ship Ballistic Nuclear-powered (SSBN) submarine becomes operational by the end of this year.
An SSN like the Nerpa submarine is apt for roles such as hunting down SSBNs or escorting ships. An SSBN like the Arihant, on the other hand, can fulfil the role and capability of firing nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles from far out at sea if India is ever faced with the eventuality of taking such action.
Sources said that when the INS Arihant is inducted as well, India can work towards attaining the capability of using SSNs to “hunt down” SSBNs and train towards using the SSBNs to evade any SSN attack. China, incidentally, has SSBNs and this ability will significantly bolster the capabilities of the Indian Navy.
Previously, in 1988, India had taken a nuclear-powered submarine on lease from Russia but it was returned in 1991. Nuclear-powered submarines can stay underwater for considerable lengths of time in contrast to diesel-electric submarines.
According to reports, the deal for the Nerpa’s 10-year lease has come at a cost of over $900 million. The K-152 submarine was handed over to the Indian navy at a ceremony in the far eastern port of Primorye, making India the sixth operator of such submarines in the world.
Indian ambassador to Russia, Ajai Malhotra, walked along the line of guards of honour of the Russian Pacific Fleet and Indian seamen in the port town of Bolshoi Kamen in Russia’s Far Eastern Primorye Territory, Itar-Tass news agency quoted Rossiiskaya Gazeta as saying.
After national anthems of the two countries were played, a cloth hiding the submarine’s new name was taken off and the Indian flag was unfurled. So, after a two-year process of leasing out the Russian Nerpa atomic submarine, it has finally become INS Chakra, the report said.