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Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India

Agencies via China Daily, September 3, 2011

• Russia will provide a leased Nerpa nuclear submarine to the Indian Navy this month, the Russian Navy General Staff said Friday.

  According to a navy spokesman, Indian crew and Russian instructors have fully completed the submarine's tests.

  India paid Russia $650 million for the 10-year lease of the submarine which would be renamed to Chakra, reported Interfax news agency.

  In October, the submarine will be moved to an Indian navy base where it could be used as a training vessel for the first Indian-built Arihant missile-carrier submarine.

  Leasing of the Nerpa was postponed in 2008 after a malfunction of the fire safety system killed 20 people.

  The third-generation Nerpa-type submarines carry torpedoes and Granat cruise missiles with 3000-km range.

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