Russia
may cooperate with India’s Larsen&Toubro Company to upgrade
Russian-made diesel-electric submarines on the Indian territory, The
Economic Times reported on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. According to a military
source of the newspaper, the submarines were initially planned to be
modernized at the Pipavav Shipyard belonging to Indian billionaire Anil
Ambani. |
However,
Russia informed the Indian Defense Ministry earlier that the shipyard
would be unable to complete the submarines’ modernization in accordance
with the schedule as it required retooling. According to estimates,
the submarines’ upgrade will be worth $800 million.
India is planning to modernize three Russian-made Project 877EKM diesel-electric
submarines, the Sindhudhvaj, the Sindhuraj and the Sindhurashtra, that
require medium repair.
The Project 877EKM diesel-electric submarine has a displacement of 2,300
tons, a length of 72.6 meters, an underwater speed of 19 knots (about
35 km/h), a depth of submersion of 300 meters and cruising capacity
of 45 days. Its crew totals 52.
Earlier, the Zvyozdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk in north Russia and
the Indian Navy also signed a contract for the upgrade of the diesel-electric
submarine Sindhukesari on the Russian territory.
The contract envisages its medium repair that is expected to take 27
months.
The submarine is planned to arrive in Severodvinsk in the summer of
2016. |
