Russia resumes pre-delivery trials of nuclear sub for India

Russia on 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.

Courtesy:The hindu

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