Russian Navy


India intends to build three SSBN and six SSN


India intends to build three SSBN and six SSN 18.03.2010
Coming 10-year leasing of Russian SSN K-152 Nerpa to Indian Navy could not conform to India's long-term plans to create sea nuclear deterrence force; the reason is international nonproliferation treaty as for missiles with the range over 300 km and, therefore, Nerpa could not be armed with long-range strategic missiles.

This submarine will be used for protection of the first Indian-made SSBN INS Arihant which will be presumably commissioned in 2011-2012. Armed with torpedoes and Club-S cruise missiles with the range below 300 km, Nerpa would be a kind of silent killer chasing enemy's subs and ships.

In the longer term India intends to construct three nuclear-powered ballistic missile subs and six nuclear-powered attack subs. In contrast to diesel electric submarines which frequently need to surface for battery recharging and oxygen replenishment, nuclear-powered subs are capable to stay underwater almost forever. Thus, a SSBN is considered to be the most hard-detectable nuclear missile carrier.

At present, Indian Navy has only 16 obsolete diesel subs while US Navy has 71 nuclear-powered submarines (including 14 SSBNs) and China possesses 62 subs (10 of them are nuclear including three SSBNs).

Source: Military Parity, photo: SSBN INS Arihant (militaryparitet.com)

Back to the list


Related Information:

News of the day
Other Navies News
Russian Navy News




Back to news list


Copyright © 1998-2012 RusNavy.com. All materials contained in this Website are protected by copyright laws and may not be reproduced, republished, distributed, transmitted, displayed, broadcast or otherwise exploited in any manner without the express prior written permission from the editorial staff. The editorial staff. Site created by ProLabs. Russian version.