Russia resumes pre-delivery trials of nuclear sub for India

Vinay Shukla

Moscow, Jul 10 (PTI) Russia Friday resumed sea trials of
its Akula class nuclear attack submarine to be leased to the
Indian Navy, months after they were halted following an
accident that killed 20 crew and staff members.

The Akula II class submarine was cleared for final sea
trials before being commissioned with the Russian Navy and
leased to the Indian Navy by end of 2009.

The submarine is to be leased to India for 10 years
under a secret clause of the larger Gorshkov package signed in
2004.

"The sea trials of the Nerpa nuclear submarine will
continue for two weeks. All damage on the vessel found during
the investigation of the accident has been repaired," a
defence official was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

The trials were halted after 20 crew members and
technical staff of the shipyard were killed and 17 injured in
the accidental triggering of fire suppression system filled
with highly toxic Freon gas in the sleeping quarters on
November 8, while the submarine was in the Sea of Japan.

India reportedly paid USD 650 million for a 10-year
lease of the 12,000-ton K-152 Nerpa, considered the quietest
and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack
submarines.

'Human error' was identified as the cause of the worst
accident on Russian submarines since the sinking of the Kursk
in August 2000, in which 118 crew members were killed after a
blast in the torpedo room. PTI VS
DDC
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