India did not renew the lease of submarines INS Chakra from Russia, causing a serious shortage of its underground combat force. Previously, INS Chakra was considered a “nuclear punch” in the Indian ocean.
Home-made INS Arihant is a strategic nuclear submarine with a displacement of 6,000 tons, developed over the past three decades in a secret government program worth up to $ 2.9 billion.
INDIA getting ready to meet 500 tanks of a new generation of Russian-made T-14 Armata
The strategic nuclear submarine INS Chakra, formerly a ballistic missile nuclear submarine with the number K-152 Nerpa of Project 971, Akula class of Russia, is leased by India from Russia. For many years, the submarine INS Chakra was considered the “nuclear punch” in the oceans of the Indian Navy.
The ship is also a key element in the power balance against potential rivals such as China and Pakistan. Despite its tremendous power, in recent years this ship has also encountered many problems, which is probably the reason why India did not renew the lease contract for this nuclear submarine.
Photos shared on the media show the nuclear submarine INS Chakra moving through the Singapore Strait with the escort of the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Tributs.
The submarine INS Chakra, which had previously left India’s eastern military port, is likely to enter the South China Sea en route to the eastern Russian port of Vladivostok.
INDIA getting ready to meet 500 tanks of a new generation of Russian-made T-14 Armata
INS Chakra is a Project 971 “Shchuka-B” nuclear attack submarine, launched in 2008 by Russia as K-152 Nerpa. The ship was chartered by New Delhi in April 2012 at a cost of about 670 million USD and for a period of 10 years, becoming the first nuclear submarine in the Indian Navy.
The nuclear attack submarine INS Chakra has a full displacement of 8,140 tons; length 110.3 m, maximum speed 35 knots / h when moving in the diving state. The operating depth of this nuclear submarine is about 480 m (max when tested up to 600 m). The ship is equipped with four 533 mm torpedo tubes, compatible with all Russia’s most advanced anti-submarine and surface torpedoes.
INS Chakra is also equipped with three Igla-M anti-aircraft missile launchers and can carry dozens of cruise missiles. The RK-55 Granat missile system with a range of 3,000 km was replaced by a multi-purpose missile complex Klub-S before being transferred to India, in order to comply with the Missile Technology Control Treaty (MTCR), which banned the export The missile has a range of more than 300 km.
Indian Airforce deployed Tejas aircraft in Kashmir against Pakistan Jf-17
With the return of the nuclear submarine INS Chakra, the submarine warfare capacity of the Indian Navy will be seriously deficient in the context of the new domestically built submarines not meeting the requirements.
After returning the INS Chakra, India will no longer have nuclear attack submarines in service, only one self-built Arihant-class ballistic missile nuclear submarine and 15 diesel-electric submarines.
New Delhi in 2019 signed a $3.3 billion agreement with Moscow to lease an additional Project 971 nuclear attack submarine for a term of 10 years. The ship will bear the name INS Chakra III in the Indian Navy and is expected to be delivered around 2025.