Akula-Class INS Chakra III Submarine for India Faces 3-Year Delay Amidst Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Now Expected by 2028

The Indian Navy's acquisition of the Akula-class nuclear attack submarine, INS Chakra III, has been delayed by three years and is now expected to join the fleet by 2028. Initially scheduled for delivery in 2025, the submarine's arrival has been pushed back due to challenges stemming from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

India and Russia signed a $3 billion deal in 2019 for the ten-year lease of the Akula-1 class submarine after two years of negotiations. This acquisition is crucial for the Indian Navy, bolstering its underwater capabilities and strengthening its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) like the Akula class offer significant advantages over conventional diesel-electric submarines. Their high speed, extended endurance, and ability to remain submerged for long periods make them ideal for extended operations at sea. While not equipped with nuclear weapons, INS Chakra III will provide India with a potent conventional attack capability, designed to track and neutralize enemy ships and submarines.

This will be the third Akula-class submarine leased to India by Russia. The first, INS Chakra I, arrived in 1988, followed by INS Chakra II in 2012. These leases have been instrumental in enhancing the Indian Navy's expertise in operating nuclear submarines and have facilitated technological transfer and training, aiding in the development of India's indigenous nuclear submarine program, including the Arihant class SSBNs.

INS Chakra III is expected to feature upgraded systems and technology compared to its predecessors, providing enhanced operational capabilities, stealth, and firepower. This modernization will make it a vital asset for the Indian Navy in projecting power and ensuring regional security.

The delay in delivery is attributed to several factors, primarily the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has strained Russia's defence production timelines and resources. The conflict has reportedly impacted Russia's ability to fulfill international defence orders, including other procurements for India. Additionally, refurbishing and customizing the Akula-class submarine to meet India's specific requirements involves extensive modernization work, further contributing to the delay.

Despite the setback, INS Chakra III will offer significant strategic advantages upon its induction. The submarine will enhance India's underwater deterrence capabilities, particularly crucial given the growing presence of other naval powers in the IOR. It will also enable the Indian Navy to conduct extended reconnaissance, escort operations, and anti-submarine warfare missions with increased stealth.

 

[sanket]

Good By the time Indigenous SSN starts sea Trials This INS Chakra -III will boost the capabilities of IN

 

[Anant]

2028, eh? It is possible the Russians may saddle us with the Volk, which is expected to finish modernisation then, but most certainly won't. It'll be a proper lemon for us to get, as that boat would be 37 years old by then.

Chakra III is just a scam for Russia to get forex and offload an ancient SSN.

 

[Krishna]

How to pay Russia with all these sanctions?

 

[M S Chatterji]

Do attack submarines carry nuclear weapons?....... Carrying nuclear weapons is the job of Strategic submarines, I believe. The attack submarines carry multitude of torpedos, missiles etc. to attack surface and under water ships/submarines. Their main versatility is size (carry more weapons), endurance and stay hidden for a long time.

I need more opinions on attack submarines.

 

[Akhil]

Russia - 3 years delay on Submarine!
US - years delay on engines.
Germany - too many unrealistic demands in engine deal.

Hopefully there won't be delay in Rafales.

 

[Pad UwU]

Do attack submarines carry nuclear weapons?....... Carrying nuclear weapons is the job of Strategic submarines, I believe. The attack submarines carry multitude of torpedos, missiles etc. to attack surface and under water ships/submarines. Their main versatility is size (carry more weapons), endurance and stay hidden for a long time.

I need more opinions on attack submarines.

you can equip them with nuclear tipped cruise missile, But they are build for speed/manoeuvrability/stealth and to hunt.

 

[Anant]

Do attack submarines carry nuclear weapons?....... Carrying nuclear weapons is the job of Strategic submarines, I believe. The attack submarines carry multitude of torpedos, missiles etc. to attack surface and under water ships/submarines. Their main versatility is size (carry more weapons), endurance and stay hidden for a long time.

I need more opinions on attack submarines.

They can be equipped with nuclear-tipped torpedoes and cruise missiles, as Dredd ji said, but they don't usually carry nukes around. In any case, if this scam of a lease does materialise, the submarine will not carry any nukes whatsoever.

 

[Major Manu]

2028, eh? It is possible the Russians may saddle us with the Volk, which is expected to finish modernisation then, but most certainly won't. It'll be a proper lemon for us to get, as that boat would be 37 years old by then.

Chakra III is just a scam for Russia to get forex and offload an ancient SSN.

What scam did you find, if buying only 36 Rafales for a whopping $10Bln is not a scam, nothing else is scam.

 

[Major Manu]

Good By the time Indigenous SSN starts sea Trials This INS Chakra -III will boost the capabilities of IN

Will be soon followed by SU-75, KA-228t.

 

[Anant]

What scam did you find, if buying only 36 Rafales for a whopping $10Bln is not a scam, nothing else is scam.

The Russian Navy has a stated need for 18-20 "nuclear strike submarines", which is what they call SSNs and SSGNs. Looking at Russia's present inventory, they have 4 Yasen-class SSGNs (with 8 more planned or under construction), 7 Oscar-clsss SSGNs (of which 3 are due for retirement, and we don't count Belgorod here as she is a special purpose boat), 9 Akula-class SSNs (of which 3 are due for retirement and 3 are modern-ish), 2 Sierra II-class SSNs (both due for retirement), and 2 Victor-class SSGNs (also due for retirement). Of these 24 boats, it is physically unknown if 6 have gone to sea for years now, and a total of 10 are up for replacement, which gives Russia 14 modern-ish SSNs / SSGNs with a further 8 on the way (which will replace some of these 14 boats).

Therefore, as can be seen, the Russian Navy's own requirement is barely being fulfilled here. That would mean that any lease of an Akula-class boat would have to be for one of the boats that is due for retirement. Three submarines presently fulfill that criteria - Magadan, Pantera, and Volk). All three boats are up fot retirement before this decade ends, with the possible exception of Volk (which has a refit scheduled to end in 2028). In any case, by 2030, another three Akulas - Kuzbass, Tigr, and Samara, would be up for replacement. Of these six boats, all are Akula Is or Improved Akula Is. For reference, the Chakra II (formerly Nerpa) was an Improved Akula I.

The Akula Is are known to be aging boats, which, while still capable, are also increasingly obsolescent. Their major refits only add 5-10 years to the hull, and not much else.

Next, we come to the financial aspect of it. We paid Russia 3 billion USD for the Chakra III as per the deal signing in 2019. Adjust that to inflation to today, and this works out to 3.7 billion USD today. By today's exchange rate, that is about Rs. 31,233.61 crores. Oh, and that is for a ten-year lease of an old boat that would have been scrapped otherwise.

The new SSGNs recently green-lit in India under Project 77 are to cost us Rs. 20,000 crore each by today's money. That gets you a proper SSN / SSGN with a 40-year life.

Let's compare the two. For the price of one beat-up geriatric Akula I, you can get roughly 1.52 new Project 77 SSGNs. Does that seem like a fair trade-off? Back when we leased the Nerpa, we atleast had the option to buy the submarine at the end of the lease. A similar option exists here, but what would be do with a beat-up nuclear submarine?

Now, coming to your point about the Rafales. Where exactly did you get that 10 billion USD figure from? The deal back in 2016 cost us 7.8 billion Euro at the time. Factoring in inflation and using today's exchange rate, that comes to 9.25 billion USD. Are you really trying to throw a figure adjusted to 2028 or something in 2024. Seriously?

 

[BCharlie]

Russia - 3 years delay on Submarine!
US - years delay on engines.
Germany - too many unrealistic demands in engine deal.

Hopefully there won't be delay in Rafales.

If we order today, then as of today 230 Rafales back order of many countries will be filled-in first by France from their production unit producing 24 Rafales per year. Thats 10 years to fill 230 units.... Then comes our turn.. so, by that time our children will be adults.

 

[Jim Bray-Old school security]

$3B does not buy much submarine these days also Russian subs have a reliability issue like there aircraft carrier

 

[Dipesh Debnath]

How to pay Russia with all these sanctions?

Russia buys ice breakers and tankers from indian shipbuilders.

 

[Sandeep]

How to pay Russia with all these sanctions?

There’s a rupee to rouble currency trade that’s already operational between us. That’s been up and running ever since Russia got kicked out of the international SWIFT payment system that the world uses for all electric transactions.

 

[Anant]

$3B does not buy much submarine these days also Russian subs have a reliability issue like there aircraft carrier

The Indian SSN program under Project 77 is pegged at about 64% of the cost of this deal (factoring in inflation). 2.5 to 3 billion USD can get you a SSN. I just don't see any sense in dropping that kind of money for an old, otherwise-scrapped SSN.

 

[Pad UwU]

We need more latest version of akula class plus more weapons for preparation of world war 3

 

[Rama Hota]

No need to buy old Akula class SSN on 2028
buy Yasen class SSN

 

[Anant]

No need to buy old Akula class SSN on 2028
buy Yasen class SSN

SSNs aren't just sold and purchased. We need to wait for the Project 77 boats and potentially expedite construction and further boats.

 

[Anant]

We need more latest version of akula class plus more weapons for preparation of world war 3

Sir, there is no latest version of the Akula-class, unless you are referring to the Akula III subclass. That single ship is considerably better than her predecessors, but she too is an aging boat that will have to either go in for a large refit or retirement in about a decade.