Zvezdochka to upgrade fifth Indian diesel electric sub

23.03.2010
Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center (Severodvinsk) will upgrade fifth diesel electric submarine of Indian Navy, reported the shipyard's press service.

According to the shipyard' director Vladimir Nikitin, "right now, department of military technical cooperation intensively prepares to that event. All contractual docs have been sent to Delhi. Next come complicated price talks".

Zvezdochka experts have already performed troubleshooting and certification of Project 877EKM diesel electric sub Sindurakshak (stands for "Sea Giant"), developed and coordinated repair documents with the customer. The sub is to be transferred to Severodvinsk in June.

Specialized in repair and utilization of nuclear subs, Zvezdochka shipyard has upgraded four diesel electric subs by order of Indian Navy. The shipyard experts also perform overhaul and modernization of similar submarine – INS Sindukirti – at her basing site, Vishakhapatnam, India.

All those Russian-built subs are of Project 887EKM (on NATO classification – Kilo) designed by Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering (St. Petersburg). They are used for antisubmarine and antisurface warfare as well as for defense of naval bases, coastal and sea lanes, reconnaissance and patrol activities. Such submarines have displacement of 2,300 tons; length of 72.6 meters; submerged speed of 19 knots (about 35 kph); diving depth of 300 meters; crew of 52 men; endurance of 45 days. Kilo-class submarines are armed with six 533-mm torpedo tubes.

In the course of modernization submarines are equipped with present-day Russian cruise missile system Club-S with operating range of about 200 km, new Indian sonar equipment and radio communication systems.

Source: ITAR-TASS, photo: Kilo-class submarine (russiaflot.ru)