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Following the sinking of one of the world’s largest dry docks on October 29 in a shipyard in the far northwest part of Russia, officials have finally admitted that they are unable to continue work on Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, for the time being. While Russia’s shipbuilding industry is reportedly looking into alternatives, no timely and viable solution to continue retrofitting work on the Russian Navy’s flagship has emerged to date. “We have alternatives actually for all the ships except for [the aircraft carrier] Admiral Kuznetsov. Our enterprises are in operation, [including] the Nerpa [Ship Repair Factory],”...

Russian nuclear submarine leased to India -reports * Nerpa handed over to India military -reports * Submarine's builder says Indians only on sea trial so far * The sub cut noise, improved manoeuvrability after accident MOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Russia has handed a new nuclear-powered submarine over to India for a 10-year lease, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, two years after an accident during testing killed 20 people. The Nerpa, under the command of an Indian crew, left its base on Russia's Pacific coast earlier this week, bound for an Indian naval base, Interfax news agency quoted a...

Indian Navy will regain its underwater warfare nuclear capability in the next 60-days with the Russians assuring that the Akula-II class attack submarine the Nerpa would be delivered by mid-May. The assurance that the nuclear submarine would be delivered "strictly on schedule" was given by top Russian shipbuilding officials to the Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is to visit New Delhi on a state visit next month. Nerpa has been handed over to the Russian Navy for its sea trials. "The 518th project, the Nerpa submarine is currently completing trials in the Pacific basin. We believe that we will be...

Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, which entered service with the Navy in late 2009, will undergo additional adjustments in February, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The submarine was put into service despite a fatal accident during its sea trials in November 2008. Earlier reports said it had passed final tests successfully. "Additional adjustments are planned for the Nerpa in February 2010 to rectify the flaws revealed during the latest tests," a ministry official said. On November 8, 2008, while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials, its onboard fire suppression system activated, releasing a deadly gas into the sleeping quarters....

Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, damaged in a fatal accident during tests in November last year, has successfully passed final trials, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said on Monday. On November 8, 2008, while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials, its onboard fire suppression system activated, releasing a deadly gas into the sleeping quarters. Three crewmembers and 17 shipyard workers were killed. There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, onboard the vessel at the time. Following repairs, which cost an estimated 1.9 billion rubles ($65 million), the submarine has been cleared for final sea trials. "A state commission has concluded...

N-sub for Indian Navy goes on trial in Russian seas PTI Saturday, July 01, 2006 19:43 IST MOSCOW: A Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine to be leased to the Indian Navy has begun sea trials. The submarine, which went on sea trials on June 24, would be leased to the Indian Navy after its formal induction in to the Russian Pacific Fleet next year, Vedomosti daily reported on Saturday. The Amursky Shipyard based in Komsomolsk-on-Amur just across the Chinese border launched the construction of Nerpa nuclear-power submarine (project 971, type Shchuka-B) in 1991. "The contract concluded with India (around 2004) on completing...