Delay in India's N-triad likely after submarine mishap

New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) With the Akula-class submarine
of Russia meeting with an accident, India's plans to acquire
the nuclear-powered vessel could suffer a delay affecting the
development of a sea-launched nuclear weapon system.

Two Akula-II submarines were to be obtained by India on a
10-year lease from next year, but Sunday's mishap has forced
Russia to take it off the sea trials, which were being
monitored by Indian Navy officials.

This submarine would be the first nuclear powered vessel
to be inducted into the Indian Navy in over a decade now,
after India had use another Russian vessel in the early 1990s.

"Indian Navy officials are already there in Russia
monitoring the submarine project -- both during its
construction phase and now during the sea trial phase. So we
are keeping a close watch on the developments," Navy officials
here told PTI Monday.

They conceded that since the submarine has been taken
off the trials and moved to an unnamed shipyard for repairs,
it could delay India's plan to acquire them.

India is already asking Russia to ensure proper safety
measures on the ship before it is again sent for sea trials.
In fact, India is insisting on the safety measures, as it does
not possess an underwater rescue vessel and has been depending
on foreign navies for the purpose.

Already India is planning to send a team of sailors to
take over the ship from Russians and bring it to its home base
at Visakhapatnam. But those plans too would be delayed, it is
learned.

Already, Indian Navy has been training these personnel at
its submarine training facilities in Visakhapatnam and over
100 personnel have been trained for the purpose, sources said.

The 12,000-tonne Akula-II submarine is touted to be
Russia's most-advanced, deadliest, quickest and quietest of
vessel in the world and India wants to possess it for a few
years to train in personnel on operating a nuclear-powered
submarine.

To be eponymously re-christened I.N.S. Chakra, on India's
first nuclear submarine operated in the late 1980s and early
1990s, Akula-II submarines will provide the necessary
expertise India would need to operate its indigenous
under-development nuclear submarine.

Called the Advanced Technology Vehicle (A.T.V.)
programme, the indigenous vessel is likely to join the naval
service in about five years.

India has been painstakingly gaining experience on
nuclear submarines by including them in its annual bilateral
naval exercises with naval powers such as U.S., U.K. and
Russia called the Malabar, Varuna and Indra series
respectively.

All these preparations are meant to help India in getting
the most crucial element of the nuclear weapon triad -- the
sea-launched weapon system on which Defence Research and
Development Organisation (D.R.D.O.) is already working.

India currently possesses capabilities for ground-and
air-launched nuclear weapon systems, but lack capability for a
sea-launched system, which was to be tried and tested on the
Akula-II submarines. PTI N.C.B.
RKM
NNNN