India commences work on 2nd N-submarine

Construction of India’s second nuclear submarine has begun at a classified facility in Visakhapatnam, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

This project was launched just 24 months after India’s first nuclear submarine INS Arihant was commissioned.

The second programme took far lesser time than Arihant to reach the shipyard from the drawing board. This time we had a clear plan and we had learned a lot from our mistakes,” top sources told the daily.

Though exact details of the submarine’s progress have not been made public yet, it is learnt that fabrication of the hull and body has begun. The reactor is being constructed with Russia’s help.

The project is expected to be ready for sea trials by 2015. By that time India would have a Russian submarine and INS Arihant deployed.

The Akula-II class nuclear submarine K-152 Nerpa, to be renamed INS Chakra, will be handed over to Indian Navy by Russian Navy in November-December on a 10-year lease.