Construction of India’s second nuclear submarine has begun at a classified facility in Visakhapatnam, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
This project was launched just 24 months after India’s first nuclear submarine INS Arihant was commissioned.
“The second programme took far lesser time than Arihant to reach the shipyard from the drawing board. This time we had a clear plan and we had learned a lot from our mistakes,” top sources told the daily.
Though exact details of the submarine’s progress have not been made public yet, it is learnt that fabrication of the hull and body has begun. The reactor is being constructed with Russia’s help.
The project is expected to be ready for sea trials by 2015. By that time India would have a Russian submarine and INS Arihant deployed.
The Akula-II class nuclear submarine K-152 Nerpa, to be renamed INS Chakra, will be handed over to Indian Navy by Russian Navy in November-December on a 10-year lease.
This project was launched just 24 months after India’s first nuclear submarine INS Arihant was commissioned.
“The second programme took far lesser time than Arihant to reach the shipyard from the drawing board. This time we had a clear plan and we had learned a lot from our mistakes,” top sources told the daily.
Though exact details of the submarine’s progress have not been made public yet, it is learnt that fabrication of the hull and body has begun. The reactor is being constructed with Russia’s help.
The project is expected to be ready for sea trials by 2015. By that time India would have a Russian submarine and INS Arihant deployed.
The Akula-II class nuclear submarine K-152 Nerpa, to be renamed INS Chakra, will be handed over to Indian Navy by Russian Navy in November-December on a 10-year lease.
Arihant class submarine at a glance
| Name: | Arihant (अरिहंत:) |
| Builders: | Shipbuilding Centre (SBC),Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh |
| Operators: |  Indian Navy |
| Succeeded by: | Arihant follow-on submarine |
| In commission: | 2011- (est.) |
| Building: | 5 |
| Planned: | 5[1] |
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Ballistic missile submarine |
| Displacement: | 6,000 tons[2] |
| Length: | 112 m (367 ft)[2] |
| Beam: | 15 m (49 ft) (Est.) |
| Draft: | 10 m (33 ft) (Est.) |
| Propulsion: | 85MW PWR using 40% enriched uranium fuel; 1 turbine (47,000hp/70MW); 1 shaft; 1 7-bladed, high-skew propeller |
| Speed: | 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) (surfaced); 24 knots (44 km/h) (submerged) |
| Range: | unlimited except by food supplies |
| Test depth: | 300 m (980 ft) (est) |
| Complement: | 95 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | USHUS Sonar |
| Armament: | Torpedoes: 6 21" (533mm) torpedo tubes - est. 30 charges (torpedoes, missiles or mines)[3] SLBM - 4 launch tubes (each with 2.4 meter diameter)[4] 12 x K15 SLBM (3 in each launch tube) or 4 x K-4[5] SLBM (Under development) |
Ships in class
| Name | Pennant | Builder | Launch | Commissioning | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INS Arihant | S73 | Shipbuilding Centre Vishakapatnam | 26 July 2009 | 2012[49] | Sea trial[50] |
| INS Arhidaman [51] | Shipbuilding Centre Vishakapatnam and porbainder | Under construction | |||
| Unknown | Shipbuilding Centre Vishakapatnam | Under construction | |||
| Unknown | Shipbuilding Centre Vishakapatnam |
