Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Indian Navy to lease second Akula class submarine - Iribis

India and Russia are to shortly begin negotiations on the lease of a second nuclear attack submarine for the Indian Navy. The second boat likely to be the completed might be Iribis, an Akula that was only half constructed but abandoned as a result of paucity of funds. 

The recently leased Akula class submarine - INS Chakra II, currently in service with the Navy’s eastern fleet has been on nearly non-stop patrol since its induction in April last year, and the Navy is reported to be very satisfied with its capabilities and performance.

Tentatively christened INS Chakra III, the new submarine will be another advanced variant of the Akula class submarines that are capable of spending months under water. It is likely to be equipped with more lethal weaponry, including a vertically launched Brahmos missile system.


Akula class submarines ( Image Courtesy - naval-technology.com ) 

The submarine is to be reconstructed around the hull of the Iribis, a Russian Akula class submarine that was never completed as funds became scarce in the late nineties. Vladimir Dorofeev, head of the Malachite Design Bureau, said that the new submarine could also benefit from the design efforts that Russia had put in its latest class of Yasen nuclear-powered attack submarines.
News Courtesy - idrw.org and indianexpress.com

4 comments:

  1. Hi Taurgo

    I think it will be a long wait for Chakra III to be in full service - perhaps 2025.

    This is based on the lead times for Chakra "II" (ex Nerpa) and the poor condition Iribis is likely to be in after 20 years. If Iribis is only 60% complete that suggests much work to do and also major modernisation/rebuilding of work already done to retrofit/incorporate at least some of the technologies in the Yashen-Graney Class.

    Regards

    Pete

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hope it is commissioned in not more than 5 years
    It is also time start building our own SSN.If we can build an SSBN then surely we can build an SSN too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope it is commissioned in not more than 5 years
    It is also time start building our own SSN.If we can build an SSBN then surely we can build an SSN too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hope it is commissioned in less than 5 years.It is time however tostart building our own SSN.If we can build an SSBN then surely we can build an SSN.

    ReplyDelete