Russian submarine K-152 Nerpa
Encyclopedia
The K-152 Nerpa
is a 8140 tonne Project 971 Shchuka-B
(NATO: Akula II
) type nuclear-powered
attack submarine. Construction was started in 1993, but suspended due to lack of funding. K-152 Nerpa was launched in October 2008 and entered service with the Russian Navy in late 2009. The submarine will eventually be leased to the Indian Navy
in 2010 and recommissioned as the INS Chakra.
While K-152 Nerpa was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan
on 8 November 2008, an accident caused the deaths of some twenty sailors and injury to twenty-one others. A fire suppression system discharged gas in the bow of the sub, suffocating civilian specialists and navy crew members.
shipyard in 1993, but its completion was delayed for nearly a decade due to a lack of funds caused by the economic crisis of the early 1990s. The partly constructed vessel was mothballed until 2004, when Rosprom (the Federal Agency for Industry) signed an agreement with the India
n government to complete the submarine and lease it to the Indian Navy. The vessel was intended to be completed by 2007, but underwent further delays. In 2007, it was transferred to the Vostok shipyard in the closed city
of Bolshoy Kamen
, Primorsky Krai
, for fitting-out. It was launched in October 2008 for sea trials, following which it was due to be handed over to the Russian Defence Ministry. Reports in the Indian media suggest that the resumption of construction was underwritten with Indian funding.
The standards of the vessel's construction were criticised by several commentators. Alexander Golts, defence editor of the Yezhednevny Zhurnal
newspaper, said that in the 1980s, the Amur shipyard turned out submarines "one after another, like pancakes," but from 1993 to 2008 had produced just one. "The old specialists had left, and the new ones lacked professionalism." An unnamed worker at the Amur shipyard told Komsomolskaya Pravda
that there were "questions about the quality of the metal that was used in building the nuclear submarine", some of which had been bought from China, and alleged that "when the first trials of the submarine were carried out water was leaking in between the seams! So it is not surprising that the work dragged on."
During May 2009, the repairs were reported to be almost complete and new sea trials were planned for June 15–20. However, by October 2009, the work had still not been completed due to the shipyard's electrical supply having been disconnected. Nikolai Povzyk, the head of the shipyard, complained they had not been paid the 1.9 billion roubles (63.8 million dollars) owed for the work carried out on the Nerpa.
is a weapon.
Indian naval crews earlier trained to operate the submarine near St. Petersburg and another group of sailors was expected to arrive in Vladivostok
in late 2008 for joining sea trials. The training of the crew was viewed as crucial to India's own nuclear submarine program, known as the Advanced Technology Vessel
(ATV).
After the 2008 accident, there were conflicting reports over the status of the lease. A Russian defence industry official denied that talks had been held with India on the delivery of the nuclear submarine. "Russia did not launch talks on a contract to supply India with the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine." General of the Army Nikolai Marakov stated that Russia would commission the Nerpa and that it would join seven other Akula class submarines in Russia's Pacific Fleet. "The sum of $650-780 million, which Rosoboron export and the Amur Shipbuilding Plant had negotiated over a long period of time with the Indian Ministry of Defence, will now be found in Russia," he said.
However, in May 2009, both Russian and Indian defence officials confirmed that the Nerpa would be joining the Indian Navy by the end of 2009, after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the yard and announced an immediate release of 1.2 billion roubles, for the submarine construction.
On December 28, 2009, Nerpa was commissioned and joined the Russian Navy. The submarine underwent further adjustments in February 2010. As of August 2010, Russia was training a crew from the Indian Navy to sail the ship to India in fulfilment of the lease agreement. INS Chakra is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy before October 2011.
On July 1, 2011, Russian Navy chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky
has been quoted as holding that "the Indian crew is now absolutely prepared for operating the submarine, which will be on a 10-year lease.
. A total of 208 people - 81 military personnel and 127 civilians - were on board at the time of the accident. At least 20 people were killed by asphyxiation and at least 21 more were injured, marking the worst Russian submarine disaster
since the Kursk
sank in 2000. Three of the dead were military personnel and the rest were civilians from the Vostok, Zvezda, Era and Amur shipbuilding yards who were members of the acceptance team.
The incident involved the accidental triggering of a fire extinguishing system which sealed two forward compartments and released freon R-114B2 (Dibromotetrafluoroethane
) gas into them. According to survivors, those affected by the gas release were caught off guard and may not have been alerted in time due to warning sirens sounding only after the gas had already begun pouring in. Some of the victims were reported to have been unable to don breathing kits before they suffocated.
On 10 November, a Russian Navy statement blamed the disaster on an "unsanctioned operation" of the fire suppression system aboard the Nerpa. Preliminary investigations concluded that the system had triggered automatically without human intervention. On 13 November, naval investigators announced that a crewman had turned on the system "without permission or any particular grounds".
Nerpa
The Baikal seal, Lake Baikal seal, or Nerpa , is a species of earless seal endemic to Lake Baikal in Siberia. Like the Caspian seal, they are related to the Arctic ringed seal...
is a 8140 tonne Project 971 Shchuka-B
Akula class submarine
Project 971 Щука-Б , is a nuclear-powered attack submarine first deployed by the Soviet Navy in 1986...
(NATO: Akula II
Akula class submarine
Project 971 Щука-Б , is a nuclear-powered attack submarine first deployed by the Soviet Navy in 1986...
) type nuclear-powered
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
attack submarine. Construction was started in 1993, but suspended due to lack of funding. K-152 Nerpa was launched in October 2008 and entered service with the Russian Navy in late 2009. The submarine will eventually be leased to the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
in 2010 and recommissioned as the INS Chakra.
While K-152 Nerpa was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
on 8 November 2008, an accident caused the deaths of some twenty sailors and injury to twenty-one others. A fire suppression system discharged gas in the bow of the sub, suffocating civilian specialists and navy crew members.
Construction
The Nerpa was laid down at the Komsomolsk-on-AmurKomsomolsk-on-Amur
Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, situated on the left bank of Amur River. It is located on the BAM railway line, northeast of Khabarovsk. Population: -Geography and climate:...
shipyard in 1993, but its completion was delayed for nearly a decade due to a lack of funds caused by the economic crisis of the early 1990s. The partly constructed vessel was mothballed until 2004, when Rosprom (the Federal Agency for Industry) signed an agreement with the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n government to complete the submarine and lease it to the Indian Navy. The vessel was intended to be completed by 2007, but underwent further delays. In 2007, it was transferred to the Vostok shipyard in the closed city
Closed city
A closed city or closed town is a settlement with travel and residency restrictions in the Soviet Union and some of its successor countries. In modern Russia, such places are officially known as "closed administrative-territorial formations" ....
of Bolshoy Kamen
Bolshoy Kamen
Bolshoy Kamen is a town in the south of Primorsky Krai, Russia. It serves as the administrative center of Shkotovsky District, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population:...
, Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
, for fitting-out. It was launched in October 2008 for sea trials, following which it was due to be handed over to the Russian Defence Ministry. Reports in the Indian media suggest that the resumption of construction was underwritten with Indian funding.
The standards of the vessel's construction were criticised by several commentators. Alexander Golts, defence editor of the Yezhednevny Zhurnal
The Other Russia
The Other Russia , sometimes cited as Another Russia, is an umbrella coalition that gathered opponents of former President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
newspaper, said that in the 1980s, the Amur shipyard turned out submarines "one after another, like pancakes," but from 1993 to 2008 had produced just one. "The old specialists had left, and the new ones lacked professionalism." An unnamed worker at the Amur shipyard told Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on March 13th, 1925. It is published by "Izdatelsky Dom Komsomolskaya Pravda" .- History :...
that there were "questions about the quality of the metal that was used in building the nuclear submarine", some of which had been bought from China, and alleged that "when the first trials of the submarine were carried out water was leaking in between the seams! So it is not surprising that the work dragged on."
During May 2009, the repairs were reported to be almost complete and new sea trials were planned for June 15–20. However, by October 2009, the work had still not been completed due to the shipyard's electrical supply having been disconnected. Nikolai Povzyk, the head of the shipyard, complained they had not been paid the 1.9 billion roubles (63.8 million dollars) owed for the work carried out on the Nerpa.
Pending lease to India
, Russia had an agreement pending with India worth US$2 billion for the lease of Nerpa and another Project 971 Shchuka-B class submarine. Of this, K-152 Nerpa will be leased for 10 years to India at an estimated cost of US$650 million. After being handed over to the Indian Navy, it would be commissioned as INS Chakra. Nerpa is the Russian word for the Baikal seal, and ChakraSudarshana Chakra
The Sudarshana Chakra is a spinning, disk-like super weapon with 108 serrated edges used by Lord Vishnu. The Sudarshana Chakra is portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu, who also holds a Shankha in his left rear hand, a Gada in his right fore hand, and a Padma in his left...
is a weapon.
Indian naval crews earlier trained to operate the submarine near St. Petersburg and another group of sailors was expected to arrive in Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
in late 2008 for joining sea trials. The training of the crew was viewed as crucial to India's own nuclear submarine program, known as the Advanced Technology Vessel
Advanced Technology Vessel
The Arihant class submarines are nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines being developed for the Indian Navy. The was introduced to the public on July 26, 2009 at a symbolic launch ceremony, which consisted of floating it by flooding the dry dock. The Arihant class is India's first...
(ATV).
After the 2008 accident, there were conflicting reports over the status of the lease. A Russian defence industry official denied that talks had been held with India on the delivery of the nuclear submarine. "Russia did not launch talks on a contract to supply India with the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine." General of the Army Nikolai Marakov stated that Russia would commission the Nerpa and that it would join seven other Akula class submarines in Russia's Pacific Fleet. "The sum of $650-780 million, which Rosoboron export and the Amur Shipbuilding Plant had negotiated over a long period of time with the Indian Ministry of Defence, will now be found in Russia," he said.
However, in May 2009, both Russian and Indian defence officials confirmed that the Nerpa would be joining the Indian Navy by the end of 2009, after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the yard and announced an immediate release of 1.2 billion roubles, for the submarine construction.
On December 28, 2009, Nerpa was commissioned and joined the Russian Navy. The submarine underwent further adjustments in February 2010. As of August 2010, Russia was training a crew from the Indian Navy to sail the ship to India in fulfilment of the lease agreement. INS Chakra is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy before October 2011.
On July 1, 2011, Russian Navy chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky
Vladimir Vysotsky (Admiral)
Vladimir Sergeyevich Vysotskiy , Volodymyr Serhiyovych Vysotskiy; is a Russian admiral and former Commander of the Russian Northern Fleet...
has been quoted as holding that "the Indian crew is now absolutely prepared for operating the submarine, which will be on a 10-year lease.
2008 accident
An accident aboard K-152 Nerpa occurred at 8:30 PM local time on 8 November 2008, during an underwater test run in the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. A total of 208 people - 81 military personnel and 127 civilians - were on board at the time of the accident. At least 20 people were killed by asphyxiation and at least 21 more were injured, marking the worst Russian submarine disaster
Major submarine incidents since 2000
Since the year 2000, there have been twenty major naval incidents involving twenty-two submarines: nine American submarines, five Russian, four British, one Chinese, one Canadian, one Australian, and one French.-Kursk explosion:...
since the Kursk
Russian submarine K-141 Kursk
K-141 Kursk was an Oscar-II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine of the Russian Navy, lost with all hands when it sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000...
sank in 2000. Three of the dead were military personnel and the rest were civilians from the Vostok, Zvezda, Era and Amur shipbuilding yards who were members of the acceptance team.
The incident involved the accidental triggering of a fire extinguishing system which sealed two forward compartments and released freon R-114B2 (Dibromotetrafluoroethane
Dibromotetrafluoroethane
1,2-Dibromotetrafluoroethane is a haloalkane. It is also known under codenames R-114B2 and Halon 2402. It is a colorless liquid with a boiling point of 47.2 °C. R-114B2 is occasionally used in fire suppression systems. It is also used as a tracer chemical in Praxair's Seep Sense leak detection...
) gas into them. According to survivors, those affected by the gas release were caught off guard and may not have been alerted in time due to warning sirens sounding only after the gas had already begun pouring in. Some of the victims were reported to have been unable to don breathing kits before they suffocated.
On 10 November, a Russian Navy statement blamed the disaster on an "unsanctioned operation" of the fire suppression system aboard the Nerpa. Preliminary investigations concluded that the system had triggered automatically without human intervention. On 13 November, naval investigators announced that a crewman had turned on the system "without permission or any particular grounds".