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India is stepping closer towards the long-awaited launch of the first indigenous nuclear submarine Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) and will be conducting underwater tests on the 15th August, the Indian independence day.
With the indigenous nuclear submarines that operate for longer durations underwater, India will also be able to arm these submarines with nuclear tipped missiles making them the most stealthy and the most difficult-to-detect-and-target nuclear-capable platform. This is a crucial achievement since India has declared ‘no first-use’ nuclear doctrine and hence it must have a sound and effective second-strike capability. The ATV has also enabled India to achieve the nuclear trinity vis-à-vis the ability to strike nuclear attacks from land, water and air.
On the submarine front, the recent Indo-Russian high level meet in Moscow has been a substantial one. It has resulted in Russia offering its Akula-II class attack submarine ‘K-152 Nerpa’ on a 10-year lease to India by the end of this year. The Russian Schucka-B class Nerpa (NATO: Akula II) nuclear attack submarine, damaged in an accident during sea trials last year, will be commissioned by the Russian Navy in the autumn and subsequently leased to the Indian Navy, Russian navy officials indicated. New trials will be conducted on the repaired submarine in June by the shipyard.
The ‘Nerpa’ will go on a 10-year lease to the Indian Navy, for which Russia would be paid an annual fee of $50 million. At the end of the lease period the Indian Navy could either renew the lease or buy the submarine outright or the submarine could revert back to Russia.
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