By IANS
New Delhi : India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine would sail by 2009, marking a major step forward in the country’s quest for an undersea credible minimum deterrence.
India also hopes to acquire, on long-term lease, a Russian Akula-class nuclear submarine to train its personnel on operating and building such vessels, Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta told reporters here Monday.
“It is a DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) project but I can tell you that the advanced technology vessel (as the nuclear powered submarine is termed) will be ready in two years’ time,” Mehta added.
The navy chief’s optimism, an official said, stemmed from the fact that Indian scientists had succeeded in miniaturising the nuclear reactor for the vessel.
“This is a major achievement as very few countries in the world have the capability of miniaturising the reactor. It is now in the process of being mounted on the submarine’s hull,” the official pointed out.
According to Mehta, “in our credible minimum nuclear deterrent plans, the induction of nuclear weapons under sea constitutes the third triad.”
“Hitherto, we haven’t been able to devote time to this but I am confident that more attention will now be paid to this,” he added.
As for the Akula class submarine, the navy chief said: “We need this to train our personnel on operating nuclear reactors and platforms.”
Mehta, however, ruled out the early induction of the submarine version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile that Russia and India have jointly developed.
“There has been some talk of this and we have asked for a concrete plan of action which we will then consider,” he stated.
The navy has already deployed the BrahMos missile on its frontline vessels.