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Photo: Vyacheslav Shport.
Russia will deliver nuclear-powered submarine Nerpa to India in March 2011; the sub had undergone an accident happened in 2008 during the sea trials, said Vyacheslav Shport, Governor of Khabarovsk Krai at Friday's press-conference.
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Russia to deliver SSN Nerpa to India in March 2011
10/04/2010 |
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"There are no problems with the sub now. Delivery terms have been postponed due to force majeure. Now the sub is in service at Pacific Fleet. According to the tied agreements, she will be delivered to Indian Navy in March 2011", said Mr. Shport.
It was planned to lease SSN Nerpa to India as early as 2009, but the fire had occurred during the shipyard's trials on Nov 8, 2008 in the Sea of Japan. Freon began to fill the sub' compartments as a result of unauthorized operation of firefighting system. Twenty persons died and other 21 were intoxicated out of 208 persons on board.
Having passed repairs, in Dec 2009 the submarine was commissioned into Russian Navy. At present, she is used for training of Indian crew. According to RIA Novosti, the lease period makes ten years, the price is $900 mln.
SSN Nerpa (K-152, Project 971 Schuka-B) is a 3rd generation submarine; she was laid down at Amur Shipyard(Komsomolsk-on-Amur) in 1991. However, in mid-90's the financing was shut down; completion of the sub became possible only after India's sponsorship.
The sub's displacement is 8,140/12,770 tons, max speed is 30 knots, test depth is 600 meters, endurance is 100 days, crew is 73, armament includes four 533-mm torpedo tubes, and four 650-mm torpedo tubes.