In a deal worth close to $2 billion, India is set to acquire a second Akula 2 nuclear-powered attack submarine from Russia. The deal, signed on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, was not publicly announced.
However, Russian Journal Vedomosti has confirmed that the contract was finalized and signed in Goa along with many more defence deals worth $ 5 billiion.
“According to a source in the Russian defence industry, the long discussed lease to transfer a multipurpose Project 971 nuclear submarine to India from the Russian Navy was signed in Goa,” Vedomosti columnist Alexei Nikolski wrote.
The Indian Navy already operates a Russian Akula 2 nuclear-powered submarine which was leased from Russia and commissioned on April 4 2012. The 10-year lease is set to expire on 2021.
The Akula 2 class submarine, capable of sailing at speed nearly 65 kmph under water, is still considered one of the most advanced nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in the world. The quietest submarine’s defining feature of a boat makes tracking it underwater very difficult.
India and Russia signed defence pacts worth Rs 72,000 crore during Putin’s visit. The most significant was the Rs 39,000 crore deal for S-400 Triumf air defence missile system. India also signed the deal for manufacturing 200 Kamov 226T military choppers and a multi-billion dollar deal for sour stealth frigates.
