RUSIA EXPRESA SU INTENCION DE NO VENDER SUBMARINOS NUCLEARES A INDIA
29/09/2008 16:55 NEW DELHI, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has no plans to export nuclear submarines, the country's defense minister said on Monday during his visit to India.
Asked to comment on media reports on alleged plans to export nuclear submarines, in particular to India, Anatoly Serdyukov said: "The press discusses lots of things. We do not export nuclear submarines."
The Times of India earlier quoted an anonymous Indian defense source as saying that under a secret deal signed between Russia and India in January 2004, a 12,000-ton Akula-II class nuclear-powered attack submarine has been built at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard in Russia.
According to the newspaper, the submarine will be leased to India for 10 years and will be commissioned with the Indian navy as INS Chakra as early as in 2009.
Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest among Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.
According to various reports, India is currently building three domestically designed nuclear submarines under a top-secret Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) program, but needs to give its navy first-hand experience in nuclear submarine operations, deployment and maintenance prior to the deployment of domestic submarines.
"Our sailors... have been undergoing training in Russia to operate the INS Chakra for the last two-three years. Once we get it, it will be the ideal platform to train future crews for the ATVs," the Indian source said.
The nuclear submarine leased by Russia will not be equipped with long-range cruise missiles due to international restrictions on missile technology proliferation, but India may later opt to fit it with domestically designed long-range nuclear-capable missiles.
At present, India operates 16 conventional diesel submarines and is waiting for six French-Spanish Scorpene class diesel attack submarines, to be delivered between 2012 and 2017, but plans to deploy at least three nuclear submarines armed with long-range strategic missiles by 2015.
The first of the three domestic nuclear submarines is expected to begin sea trials by mid-2009.
India previously leased a Charlie-I class nuclear submarine from the Soviet Union from 1988 to 1991.
Russia recently handed over to India the INS Sindhuvijay diesel-electric submarine after an extensive overhaul at a shipyard in northern Russia.
Según el Ministro de Defensa ruso, Rusia no tiene intención de vender submarinos nucleares a India.
Pero según fuentes consultadas por el periódico "Times of India", Rusia e India habrían firmado un contrato secreto en Enero de 2.004 por un submarino de ataque nuclear Akula-II que sería construido en un astillero ruso.
Según el periódico el submarino sería alquilado por la India por un periodo de 10 años, recibiendo el nombre de INS Chakra para el año 2009. Se considera a los Akula-II como los submarinos nucleares rusos más silenciosos y letales actualmente en servicio.
Según otras fuentes, India estaría construyendo 3 submarinos nucleares de diseño nacioal bajo el programa secreto Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), necesitando dar primero a su marina una primera aproximación de como operar, desarrollar y mantener un submarino nuclear.
El submarino nuclear alquilado a Rusia no estaría dotado de misiles de crucero de largo alcance debido a las restricciones internacionales actuales en proliferación de tecnología misilística, pero India podría optar por dotarlo en un futuro con misiles nucleares de largo alcance de origen local.
En la actualidad la India opera 16 submarinos diesel y está esperando la entrega entre 2012 y 2017 de 6 submarinos de la clase Scorpene, pero espera tener desarrollados en 2015 los tres submarinos nucleares armados con misiles de largo alcance.
Se espera que el primer submarino nuclear de diseño local realice las primeras pruebas en el mar durante 2009.
Previamente, la India alquiló un submarino nuclear de la clase Charlie-I durante el periodo 1988-1991.