India commences work on 2nd N-submarine

New Delhi: 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. 

Britain approves design of new nuclear submarines

Britain has agreed the design of new nuclear submarines, even if the politically-sensitive decision on whether to build them will not be taken until 2016, Defence Secretary Liam Fox said Wednesday.

The first preparations have begun on replacing the ageing submarines in the Trident system when they expire in the 2020s, to ensure there is no gap in Britain's nuclear deterrent if it is approved, Fox said.

Sub's oxygen generator fails in Arctic

The generator that produces oxygen on board the USS New Hampshire failed last week while the submarine was in the Arctic Ocean, according to the Navy.

The New Hampshire has a back-up system to produce oxygen should the primary system fail, a Navy spokeswoman said Tuesday. Redundancy is critical on a platform as complex as a submarine, she said.

The Groton-based submarine is testing its operations in Arctic waters as part of the 2011 Ice Exercise. The New Hampshire (SSN 778) is the first Virginia-class submarine to participate in an ICEX.

Russia will lease SSN Nerpa to India no later than in Oct 2011

Russia will lease nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) Nerpa to India no later than in Oct 2011, reported RIA Novosti referring to a high-ranking source in Russian Navy Main HQ. 

Some media agencies previously reported that SSNNerpa had been allegedly leased to India for a 10-year term. 

"Nerpa is fully ready for leasing. Currently, Indian crew is trained in the sub along with Russian instructors. The training must be completed by October, as we're behind the schedule", said the interviewee. 

Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India

Russia will lease a nuclear powered submarine to India before October, a Russian Navy Staff admiral said on Wednesday.

Previous media reports said that the K-152 Nerpa attack submarine had already been transferred to India on a 10-year lease.

"The submarine is completely ready for transfer. An Indian crew is currently training aboard with Russian instructors," the admiral - who requested anonymity - said.

The £2million job interview under the ocean waves

I am at the helm of a nuclear-powered submarine. In front of me is a bewildering array of dials, knobs, levers and screens. I’ve never piloted a submarine before, but I have seen The Hunt for Red October six times. What could possibly go wrong?

“Take us to 30 metres,” comes the order. So I gently apply pressure to the joystick. Suddenly the entire control room lurches forward and everyone is forced to grab the nearest stable object. The sub plunges 60 metres and ploughs straight into the seabed. Thankfully, we are all still safe – and dry – as this is only a submarine simulator, at the Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth.

Russian will begin sea trials new generation nuclear powered submarine

ARKHANGELSK (BNS): Russian shipyard Sevmash will begin sea trials for the three new generation nuclear powered submarine, which are under construction at the shipyard in Severodvinsk, a media report said. 

The sea trials will begin with the submarine of the Northwind, Yuri Dolgoruky , Borei class submarine Alexander Nevsky and promising multipurpose nuclear submarine of project 885 (type Ash) - Severodvinsk.

Russia launches $600 bn defence spending drive

MOSCOW: Russia will spend $600 billion in a massive new military procurement drive through 2020, equipping its forces with eight nuclear submarines and hundreds of new warplanes, a top official said on Thursday. 

The spending plan envisages Russia returning its focus to the navy, equipping its new nuclear submarines with Bulava ballistic missiles that have been under development since the late 1990s, Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin was quoted as saying. 

"The main task is the modernisation of our armed forces. Nineteen trillion rubles ($600 billion) will be allocated for this," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying. 

The procurement drive, which has been repeatedly flagged by the Kremlin, is a key element of landmark military reforms which aims to revamp the armed forces' Soviet-era structures to cope with the demands of modern warfare.

Super-stealth sub powered by fuel cell

The U212A is an ultra-advanced non-nuclear sub developed for the German Navy.Powered by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell, it is almost totally silent.Without the need for combustible fuel, the sub can remain submerged for weeks at time.

CNN's global series i-List takes you to a different country each month. In February, we visit Germany and look at changes shaping the country's economy, culture and social fabric.

Eckernfoerde, Germany (CNN) -- It is almost totally silent, radiates virtually no heat and is constructed entirely from non-magnetic metals.

Nuclear or not, we'll need prefab subs

PERHAPS it was Kevin Rudd's most impossible dream - a submarine fleet to face down China. But while the idea of building 12 of our own big boats is still government policy, experts argue the task is beyond us.

One solution canvassed this week is to go nuclear. The question is whether this would exchange one set of problems for another.

The centrepiece of the 2009 defence white paper was a fleet of 12 new submarines, capable of patrolling off north Asia and equipped with cruise missiles to be used to support US forces in any war with China. They would be conventional submarines and they would be built in South Australia.

The first of these submarines would need to be operational in the early 2020s, to begin replacing the navy's six Collins-class boats.

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Russian Graney class nuclear sub to enter service in 2015

The Russian Navy will receive a second Graney class nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine in 2015, a spokesman for the Malakhit design bureau said.

The construction of the Kazan submarine at the Sevmash Shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk began in 2010. The first vessel of the Graney class, the Severodvinsk submarine, will enter service by the end of 2011.

"The hull of the Kazan sub has been built, but we still have to make many upgrades compared with the first vessel in the series. We are planning to deliver the submarine to the Navy in 2015," the official told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

The Kazan will feature more advanced equipment and weaponry than the Severodvinsk, which has been under construction since 1993.

Russian Navy to receive new nuclear attack submarine by yearend

The Russian Navy will receive a new Graney class nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine by the end of 2011, a spokesman for the Malakhit design bureau said on Monday.

Construction of the Severodvinsk submarine began in 1993 at the Sevmash Shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk but has since been dogged by financial setbacks. It was floated out in June last year.

"The submarine is undergoing harbor trials at the Sevmash Shipyard and is getting ready for sea trials in May," the official said. "It should enter service with the Russian Navy by the end of this year."

Graney class nuclear submarines are designed to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles (up to 3,100 miles or 5,000 km), with conventional or nuclear warheads, and effectively engage submarines, surface warships and land-based targets.

The submarine's armament includes 24 cruise missiles and eight torpedo launchers, as well as mines and anti-ship missiles.

In 2009, work started on the second sub of the Graney class, the Kazan, which will feature more advanced equipment and weaponry.