India has taken delivery of a nuclear-powered submarine -- the INS Chakra or rechristened Akula- II class nuclear-powered submarine K-152 Nerpa -- from Russia on a 10-year lease, local media reported Saturday.

Over 50 Indian officers and scores of sailors have already undergone extensive training on INS Chakra, followed by testing and acceptance trials of the submarine spread over several weeks, before the delivery of the submarine, local daily The Times of India reported.

INS Chakra is likely to set sail for Indian shores towards January-end, making India the sixth operator of nuclear submarines in the world.

However, INS Chakra will not complete India's "nuclear triad" since it will not be armed with long-range nuclear-tipped missiles due to international treaties like the Missile Technology Control Regime, the newspaper said.

The handing over of the submarine to India comes soon after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Moscow on Dec. 15-17.

Related

• Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India
• Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India for decade

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)