Indian Navy inducts N-powered submarine Akula-II class Nerpa

The Indian Navy on Wednesday inducted a Russian-origin nuclear submarine, INS Chakra, into its fleet, giving its underwater combat capabilities much-needed muscle and becoming the sixth navy in the world to operate such a vessel.

The Akula-II class submarine "K-152 Nerpa", renamed INS Chakra-II, is on a 10-year lease from Russia at a cost of nearly $1 billion.

Defence minister AK Antony formally inducted the 8,000-ton vessel with the hope that it will strengthen the Indian Navy.

"India is the strategic hub of the India Ocean region. Peace and stability (in the region) are necessary. India's naval presence is crucial," the defence minister said.

Shared from: The Economic Times

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Russian nuclear submarine catches fire at dockyard

[ via Reuters ] 29 Dec

A fire broke out aboard a Russian nuclear submarine during repair work at a shipyard on Thursday but emergency officials said radiation levels were normal.

SLBM fired from Yekaterinburg on 26 April 2011 

A navy spokesman said all the weapons had been removed from the Yekaterinburg nuclear submarine, which launched a ballistic missile from the Barents Sea as recently as July, before repair work started, Interfax news agency reported.

The Defence Ministry said the nuclear reactor had been shut down.

Read more: Reuters

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