India to Lease Nuclear Submarine from Russia. Expensive 0 5

The agreements on the lease followed a decade of negotiations. They were repeatedly suspended due to disputes over pricing.

Now the parties have allegedly reached a final agreement. India expects to receive the vessel within two years, although the complexity of the project may lead to later delivery dates for the submarine.

Bloomberg reports that in November, Indian officials visited a Russian shipbuilding yard.

Recently, the Chief of Naval Staff of India, Dinesh K. Tripathi, informed journalists that the commissioning of the attack submarine is expected soon. However, he did not provide any details.

According to sources, under the terms of the lease, the Russian attack submarine will not be allowed to be used in warfare.

At the same time, it will help India train sailors and improve operations with nuclear submarines while developing its own submarines.

The leased vessel will be part of the Indian Navy for 10 years. The lease contract will include maintenance of the submarine.

This is not the first such case. In January 2012, the Russian nuclear submarine of project 971U "Shchuka-B" named Chakra was leased to the Indian Navy for a period of 10 years. In June 2021, after an emergency incident on board, the submarine was returned earlier than scheduled.

Putin's Visit to India - What We Know

On Thursday, Putin arrives in India for his first visit to the country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to emphasize defense and energy ties between the two countries.

In recent months, Modi has sought to strengthen relations with Russia and China to affirm India's strategic autonomy after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Indian goods.

The Modi government is currently negotiating a trade agreement to reduce these restrictions. The latest were imposed by Trump to pressure India regarding the purchase of Russian oil.