According to a Russian Naval Admiral, the Russian Navy has agreed to lease the K-152 Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine to India by October 2011.
The admiral spoke anonymously and stated that the K-152 Nerpa is completely prepared for the transfer and at the moment an Indian crew is being trained aboard it with the help of Russian instructors.
The Nerpa submarine may be familiar to some of you, as in 2008, 20 sailors were killed aboard it after a leakage of toxic gas. The cause for the leak was a malfunctioning fire extinguishing system.
The lease contract has an estimated worth of $900-million and its foundations were set by Moscow and New Delhi when they agreed on a deal in January 2004, when the Indian part promised funding for the submarine’s construction.
The Nerpa was supposed to be inducted in use in the Indian Navy as INS Chakra by 2008.
