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Indian submarine on its way south

The Indian submarine “Sindhurakshak” was put on water after repairs in June 2012. (Photo: Novosti VPK)

An Indian Kilo-class submarine that has been repaired at a Russian shipyard in Severodvinsk, is on its way to India through the Barents Sea.

Location

The diesel-electric submarine “Sindhurakshak” has been at the Zvezdochka shipyard since August 2010. It left Severodvinsk today, escorted by two icebreakers that will lead the sub out of the frozen White Sea and into open waters, ARMS-TASS reports. 

The vessel is bound for Mumbai via the North Sea route off Britain.

This is the fifth submarine the Zvezdochka shipyard has repaired for the Indian Navy, but the first one to be shipped back home in winter conditions. 

“Sindhurakshak” arrived in Severodvinsk in August 2010 and has since then undergone upgrading.  Part of the refit involved installation of equipment for Club-S cruise missiles and over 10 Indian and foreign-made systems, including the Ushus hydro-acoustic (sonar) system and CSS-MK-2 radio communications system.

The submarine is one of India’s ten Sindhughosh-class diesel-electric submarines, an Indian variant of the Russian Kilo-class submarines.

In August 2008 another Indian submarine sailed to India after repairs in Severodvinsk. The submarine then stopped in the Norwegian town of Tromsø for a four-day visit