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

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http://www.zeenews.com/nation/2008-11-10/482320news.html

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

New Delhi, Nov 10: 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 yesterday'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 said on 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 INS 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 (ATV) 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 US, UK 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 (DRDO) 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.

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아쿨라를 핵미사일 쏘는 용도로 쓰려고 했나봅니당? 그것도 어뢰발사관에서...?

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솔직히 저는 러시아 잠수함을 어느날 타게된다면 불안해서 화장실도 못 쓸것같습니다 ㅋㅋ

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어차피 인도가 "국산 원잠" 나오기 전까지 운용경험을 얻기 위해 임대하려던 것이고(하긴 그러다가 아예 사버리는 경우도 있을 수 있습니다만) 하니 아쿨라 자체에는 직접 무장을 탑재할 필요는 없었을지도 모르겠습니다.