India is all set to receive much awaited Akula-II class nuclear-powered submarine K-152 'Nerpa' from Russia. It is being leased for 10 years which will cost India about $900 million.
'The Nerpa' was constructed at Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard. It has the capacity to remain underwater for months together and lurk in the deep seas waiting for its prey. It is armed with torpedoes and 300-km Klub-S cruise missiles.
The Indian submariners crew, which is being trained in Russia to acquire necessary skills to operate nuclear submarines, will take charge of it by the year-end and set sail for India. It will reach Indian shores by the end of January 2012.
The Nerpa is likely to be rechristened as 'INS Chakra' and will be formally inducted into the Indian Navy before March 2012.
This is the second time when Indian navy will be having a nuclear submarine, after a period of two decades. Incidentally, the first nuclear submarine which India had leased from Russia(then Soviet Union), from 1988 to 1991, was also named 'INS Chakra'.
India is building its own nuclear submarine, the over 6,000-tonne, named 'INS Arihant' which will become operational next year.
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