INS Chakra can outrun Pakistani and Chinese subs
India’s long hunt for a nuclear submarine is finally over. But it will take the country another 10-12 months to get an operational nuclear weapon triad the capability to fire nukes from land, air and sea.
India on Monday became the world’s sixth country after the US, Russia, France, the UK and China to operate nuclear-powered submarines when the Russian Akula-II class submarine K-152 Nerpa was commissioned into Indian Navy as INS Chakra on a 10-year lease under a secretive almost $1-billion contract inked in 2004.
The 8,140-tonne INS Chakra, however, is not armed with long-range nuclear missiles, like the Russian SS-N-21 cruise missiles with an over 2,500km range, due to international nonproliferation treaties like the Missile Technology Control Regime.
India’s long hunt for a nuclear submarine is finally over. But it will take the country another 10-12 months to get an operational nuclear weapon triad the capability to fire nukes from land, air and sea.
India on Monday became the world’s sixth country after the US, Russia, France, the UK and China to operate nuclear-powered submarines when the Russian Akula-II class submarine K-152 Nerpa was commissioned into Indian Navy as INS Chakra on a 10-year lease under a secretive almost $1-billion contract inked in 2004.
The 8,140-tonne INS Chakra, however, is not armed with long-range nuclear missiles, like the Russian SS-N-21 cruise missiles with an over 2,500km range, due to international nonproliferation treaties like the Missile Technology Control Regime.
The Indian nuclear triads elusive underwater leg will only
come when the homegrown nuclear submarine, the over 6,000-tonne INS Arihant
equipped to carry a dozen K-15 (750km) or four K-4 (3,500km) ballistic
missiles, becomes fully operational by early-2013.India has the land and air
legs in the shape of the Agni series of missiles and fighter jets capable of
carrying nuclear weapons.
Defence ministry sources said INS Chakra, commissioned at the Primorye region
in far south-eastern Russia in a ceremony attended by top Indian and Russian
officials, would soon set sail for India. It will be based at Visakhapatnam, next
to where INS Arihant is slated to begin extensive sea trials in February-M arch
after the ongoing harbour-acceptance trials.
Though it may not add to India’s nuclear deterrence posture, INS Chakra will give some much-needed muscle to India’s depleting underwater combat arm, which has only 14 ageing conventional submarines to brandish. India is in talks for the lease of another Akula-II class submarine from Russia, say sources.
Nuclear-powered submarines are stealthy since they can operate underwater at long ranges for months unlike diesel-electric submarines that need to surface every few days to get oxygen to recharge their batteries.
INS Chakra will also be armed with the 300 km range Klub-S land-attack cruise missiles, which India deploys on its Kilo-class conventional submarines as well as other missiles and advanced torpedoes.
It will be deadly hunter-killer of enemy submarines and warships, as also provide effective protection to a fleet at sea. It can also provide cover to the nuclear-armed INS Arihant if required. With a dived speed of 30-35 knots, INS Chakra will be able to outrun any current Pakistani or Chinese submarine, said a source.
Though it may not add to India’s nuclear deterrence posture, INS Chakra will give some much-needed muscle to India’s depleting underwater combat arm, which has only 14 ageing conventional submarines to brandish. India is in talks for the lease of another Akula-II class submarine from Russia, say sources.
Nuclear-powered submarines are stealthy since they can operate underwater at long ranges for months unlike diesel-electric submarines that need to surface every few days to get oxygen to recharge their batteries.
INS Chakra will also be armed with the 300 km range Klub-S land-attack cruise missiles, which India deploys on its Kilo-class conventional submarines as well as other missiles and advanced torpedoes.
It will be deadly hunter-killer of enemy submarines and warships, as also provide effective protection to a fleet at sea. It can also provide cover to the nuclear-armed INS Arihant if required. With a dived speed of 30-35 knots, INS Chakra will be able to outrun any current Pakistani or Chinese submarine, said a source.
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