Russia Offers Amur-1650 Submarine for India's Tender

11.03.2012 Russian prospective non-nuclear submarine Amur-1650 with air-independent powerplant (AIP) will participate in India's tender for procurement and license production of six non-nuclear submarines, said a representative of Russian defense industry.

Experts of Rubin Design Bureau are completing trials of full-sized test air-independent powerplant for prospective Russian and exported non-nuclear submarines. That bench powerplant placed in a sub's strength hull was kindly appreciated by Navy Commander ADM Vladimir Vysotsky, reports ITAR-TASS.

Air-independent powerplant is one of conditions imposed by the Indian tender, so this project has particular significance. "Development of the Russian air-independent powerplant assumes specific importance. We will either create that powerplant or hopelessly yield to world's leading non-nuclear submarine builders and lose our niche at global submarine market", pointed out the source.

United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) maintains the AIP development program by itself and is interested in government financing, since prospective AIP-equipped submarine is a point of interest of Russian Navy, reports ARMS-TASS.

According to Russian Navy's demands, such submarine should have displacement of about 2,000 tons, be armed with tactical strike weapons, 4-6 launch tubes, AIP, and acceptable price.

Non-nuclear submarine Amur-1650 is capable to deliver salvo missile strikes by all torpedo tubes upon sea and land-based static targets and has improved target detection range comparing to existent sonars.

Length of a Project Amur-1650 non-nuclear submarine is 66.8 meters; test depth is 300 meters; full submerged speed is 19 knots; endurance is 45 days; crew is 35 men; armament includes six 533-mm torpedo tubes, and 18 missiles/torpedoes/mines.