So India and Russia announced, on March 7, 2019, that India will lease yet another Russian built Akula class nuclear propelled attack submarine (SSN).
AGE AND CLEANING
The "new" submarine to be 10 year(?) leased (maybe 2025-2036 for US3 to 3.3 Billion) will probably be the current Russian Navy Kashalot (K-322) - hereinafter called Chakra "III".
III is actually older than India's current leased Akula Chakra II (was Russian Nerpa), hereinafter called "II". The most significant milestone in a submarine's age may be its "Launched" year. II was launched in 2006.
III was launched way back in 1987. Due to Russian national and military bankruptcy in the late 1980s III was laidup then mothballed in Severodvinsk (within Russia's massive Northern Fleet complex).
Due to III already being 33 years old and mothballed for decades it will need to be derusted outside and even more crucially inside, especially between:
- its inside pressure and outside hulls,
- inside, especially high pressure, pipes
- within its often seawater filled buoyancy tanks, and
- on the insides of III's diesel tanks, which feed its emergency diesel generators.
Even if relaunched around 2023 III may still have alot of hidden rust.
III's 33 year old reactor will need to be refurbished and refueled. Then III will be modernised with new Russian and Indian torpedo-missile tubes, modern communications and sensors.
Looking at Wiki right sidebar if the future lease III is unpgraded to Akula III status is may have the following specs:
- 8,500 tons (surfaced), 13,800 tons (submerged).
- 113.3m long, 13.6m beam,
- 1 x 190MW OK-650B/OK-650M pressurized water nuclear reactor, 1 OK-7 steam turbine 32MW.
Reactor likely needs refueling every 9 years (?). The OK-650 was developed in the 1970s but, as a
sign of Russian naval budget austerity, the OK-650 reactor is still being fitted to Russia's latest
submarines, eg. the new Borei/Borey SSBN.
STEALTH AND LEASING
Contrary to this source's "Current status" subheading the Soviet built late 1970s designed Akula's are nowhere near "among the best nuclear vessels in the world in terms of stealth". Not "best" compared to the US Virginia's or Seawolves, to the UK Astutes or to Russia's Yasens. A Yasen, being much more capable, was what India tried to lease but Russia refused. But a leased Indian Akula II may be the equal in stealth or better than its Chinese opposition which will be Type 093 Shangs and future Type 095s.
India would be prudent if it carries out an intention to extend the 10 year lease (currently to 2022) of II by 5 years to 2027. The more years the greater strategic and tactical effect. This will cover India for any delay in rebuilding and improving III and also holds the prospect that India could lease operate the two Chakras concurrently. Two SSN's to defend India's two (INS Arihant and Arighat) SSBNs is a prudent naval policy and tactic. Also one more new Indian SSBN is likely to be launched by the mid-2020s - needing SSN protection for a higher tempo of SSBN deterrence patrols.
Later this week "What will India's Future Leased "Chakra III" be Used For?"
Pete
Akula on surface. Note large rear pod, from which a long towed sonar array can be spooled.
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AGE AND CLEANING
The "new" submarine to be 10 year(?) leased (maybe 2025-2036 for US3 to 3.3 Billion) will probably be the current Russian Navy Kashalot (K-322) - hereinafter called Chakra "III".
III is actually older than India's current leased Akula Chakra II (was Russian Nerpa), hereinafter called "II". The most significant milestone in a submarine's age may be its "Launched" year. II was launched in 2006.
III was launched way back in 1987. Due to Russian national and military bankruptcy in the late 1980s III was laidup then mothballed in Severodvinsk (within Russia's massive Northern Fleet complex).
Due to III already being 33 years old and mothballed for decades it will need to be derusted outside and even more crucially inside, especially between:
- its inside pressure and outside hulls,
- inside, especially high pressure, pipes
- within its often seawater filled buoyancy tanks, and
- on the insides of III's diesel tanks, which feed its emergency diesel generators.
Even if relaunched around 2023 III may still have alot of hidden rust.
III's 33 year old reactor will need to be refurbished and refueled. Then III will be modernised with new Russian and Indian torpedo-missile tubes, modern communications and sensors.
Diagram of Akula submarine. Note its relatively small, streamlined, fin/sail, which improves chances of attaining 35 knots submered and theoretically with reduced hydrodynamic flow noise.
(Diagram courtesy Robert Whiston's Weblog 2011)
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SPECIFICATIONS(Diagram courtesy Robert Whiston's Weblog 2011)
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Looking at Wiki right sidebar if the future lease III is unpgraded to Akula III status is may have the following specs:
- 8,500 tons (surfaced), 13,800 tons (submerged).
- 113.3m long, 13.6m beam,
- 1 x 190MW OK-650B/OK-650M pressurized water nuclear reactor, 1 OK-7 steam turbine 32MW.
Reactor likely needs refueling every 9 years (?). The OK-650 was developed in the 1970s but, as a
sign of Russian naval budget austerity, the OK-650 reactor is still being fitted to Russia's latest
submarines, eg. the new Borei/Borey SSBN.
- 2 x OK-300 retractable electric propulsors for low-speed, quiet manoeuvring at 5 knots
- Speed up to 35 knots submerged,
- Endurance 100 days limited by food.
- Test depth 520m
- A small complement up to 62, does that imply it only has short-medium cruises of up to
40 days (?). A rather small crew compared to 134 on US Virginia's and 98 on UK Astutes.
40 days (?). A rather small crew compared to 134 on US Virginia's and 98 on UK Astutes.
- Armament - if same as Chakra II then likely 8 x 533 mm torpedo tubes (with up to 40 mix of
torpedoes and missiles). Klub/Club S missiles (and maybe newer 530mm BrahMos) anti-ship and
land attack missiles. This is assuming there are no lease terms that mean "no armament?"
torpedoes and missiles). Klub/Club S missiles (and maybe newer 530mm BrahMos) anti-ship and
land attack missiles. This is assuming there are no lease terms that mean "no armament?"
STEALTH AND LEASING
Contrary to this source's "Current status" subheading the Soviet built late 1970s designed Akula's are nowhere near "among the best nuclear vessels in the world in terms of stealth". Not "best" compared to the US Virginia's or Seawolves, to the UK Astutes or to Russia's Yasens. A Yasen, being much more capable, was what India tried to lease but Russia refused. But a leased Indian Akula II may be the equal in stealth or better than its Chinese opposition which will be Type 093 Shangs and future Type 095s.
India would be prudent if it carries out an intention to extend the 10 year lease (currently to 2022) of II by 5 years to 2027. The more years the greater strategic and tactical effect. This will cover India for any delay in rebuilding and improving III and also holds the prospect that India could lease operate the two Chakras concurrently. Two SSN's to defend India's two (INS Arihant and Arighat) SSBNs is a prudent naval policy and tactic. Also one more new Indian SSBN is likely to be launched by the mid-2020s - needing SSN protection for a higher tempo of SSBN deterrence patrols.
Later this week "What will India's Future Leased "Chakra III" be Used For?"
Pete
Local SSNs might have to wait till the reactor design is fixed and the Nirbhay SLCM gains a stature somewhat similar to the CJ-10 or BGM-109 through repeated testing. Ditto for a good torpedo (the Varunastra I assume needs at least a dozen more tests from a sub)
ReplyDeleteI for one, if possible would look at integrating Israeli electronics or French Optronics masts like the AOM 30 (Indian military establishment has good experience cross wiring 'different source' systems to talk to each other. The Su-30 MKI is a perfect example)
I am not sure if Russia will allow India to say integrate advanced low frequency flank array sonars etc from France or Israel to make the SSN more capable. I for one think the integration of capable COTS modules onto the Russian sub is not a bad idea. Of course, it is not realistic to expect Russia to share key software interface modules so to speak.
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, if Russia wants to offload the Akula class SSN's to India, they should have done it along time ago. It would have made sense to Russia because they are building more Yasen class SSN's and as they sell off the Akula class SSN's to India, Russia can build more Yasen's to replace them.
@ Nicky K D Chalenuphone:
ReplyDeleteRussia has precious few operational SSNs and little capacity or funding to ramp up production. I was surprised to learn they still even maintain three Victor IIIs. The number of any one class of boat can be counted on one hand; it's a hodgepodge of surviving Akula I/II/III, Victor III, Oscar II, and Sierra I/II. The Russians are not remotely in a position to be giving their boats up given that they are trying to produce a new SSN and SSBN design concurrently. The transfer of the Akula to India is likely due to the fact the Russians lack the budget to refurb the boat otherwise; if the Indians will pay for the yard work, the Russians are happy to oblige. The fact that the Yasen production run will likely end in favor of Husky is proof that their infrastructure and budget is struggling to keep up with demand.
Cheers,
Josh
@josh
ReplyDeleteWhich It makes me wonder why Russia never offered to sell the older Akulas to India. The money they get from selling the Akula's to India would give Russia more money in turn to buy more Yasen and Husky class SSN. I believe the reason why the Indian's want the Akula class SSN is that they want something to protect their SSBN's. If I were Russia, would start selling off the older Akula's to India for every Yasen and Husky they build.
Unfortunately India is neither a repository of unlimited cash nor a repository/junk yard for old Russian submarines. Already India has paid huge sums to get the Nerpa and now the Kashalot.
ReplyDeleteProper Indian deterrence patrols are 10-15 years away atleast, just like China of the 1980s-early 2000s. China had a real SLBM only in 2007 with the JL-2 and a real SSN with the type-093 (from 1971 to 2005-6, the noisy tub type 091 SSN was in use with minimal utility to protect the only Xia SSBN type 092). It is worth seeing that a determined China had to struggle for 35 years to get a reasonable deterrence.
India is getting valuable experience now in building big boats and this will only pay from the 2030s onwards.
Hi GhalibKabir at 5/4/19 6:21 PM
ReplyDeleteI agree and would add:
To cut down submarine production times India needs to reduce the level of corruption by politicians and officials who seem to stretch out submarine projects to prolong the gravy train. Russia's own problems of jockeying submarine desin and build bureau traditions are not helpful to India.
Yes India might take 15 years to build a 4 x SSBNs fleet and these might be quite noisy. India's SSBNs might therefore need to be bastion protected, say within 1,000km south of Trivandrum. Also their SLBMs may be far short of current Trident II quality and range.
India's yet to be build SSNs might need to develop on to a second generation (call them SSNI-2s?) to be sufficiently quiet.
Regards
Pete
2014-2019 was a good time as there was no corruption pretty much in any defense deal (the puppy like yapping of the congress scion on Rafale was slapped away by the Indian Courts)
ReplyDeleteI think money and a steep learning gradient (with effects rippling out all the way to upstream SME parts makers) have been major constraints. As I said India's trajectory is a mirror image of China in the 1990s with the SSBN Xia and JL-1A. Ditto Arihant and K-4 Mk 1.
As I said many months ago.. India needs to keep at churning out 1 SSBN every 3-4 years and 1 SSN every 4-5 years through 2050. Hopefully K-6 or K-7 will give range similar to the French M51 (with a 3-4 MIRV N deterrent) or the Agni-V.
Hi GhalibKabir
ReplyDeleteA bleak picture indeed.
Chinese SSNs, SSBNs with their SLBMs may unfortunately always have a 20-30 year lead in their quieting quality AND boats built quantity over India's.
So in 2035 we may see a Chinese equivalent of the Ohio with equivalents of Trident IIs.
This may not only come from indigenous Chinese developments but also the advantage of second-comer information gathering from the US (and Trident II technology also from British employees wanting money).
Regards
Pete
certainly... we may see even an updated version of JL-3 by 2035 on a type 097 or even a newer type-099 SSN...
ReplyDeleteUK is certainly a possibility esp. if Brexit results in long term decline..who knows..may be redundant engineers from the British sub program could be available for a 'price'
For India somewhere a breakout domestic step (likely not so easy or probable) or help from germany, france etc. on quietening tech (anechoic tiles, non-magnetic steel, electric drive support etc..) will likely be needed. of course supported by the best available ASW capability money can buy/locally develop.
Hi GhalibKabir [at 12/4/19 5:31 PM]
ReplyDeleteOn the prospect of a "type-099 SSN". Maybe China's 095 and 097s will become more time extended submarine programs like the US Los Angeles and now Virginia programs (with big upgrades within the classes).
I expect the Chinese SLBM's to improve more quickly as longer missile ranges can more quickly compensate for SSBN stealth shortcomings. Noting the rapid US upgrade precedent of Polaris A-1s, A-3s, Poseidons, Trident Is, IIs (within improvements within IIs).
Yes Brexit economic decline and unilateral UK-Jermy Corbyn nuclear disarmament could unemploy many UK SSN, SSBN and SLBM technologists. The US would do well to have contingency plans to employ them rather than see these Brits leak to all other nuclear navies including Israel and NK.
I imagine India continues to technology transfer overtly (and otherwise) from Germany, France, conventional US/UK (naturally Russia) all virtue of India buying weapons (eg. subs and ASW) from these countries over many decades.
Regards
Pete