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India to acquire missiles for submarines from Russia

NEW DELHI, Aug 9 (KUNA) -- India will soon acquire Club-S subsonic cruise missiles on its Kilo-class submarine, that could hit targets several hundred kms away. "The missiles, fitted in Indian Navy's new series of upgraded Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhuvijay, are scheduled to arrive in the country from Russia later this month," a source in the Indian Defence Ministry told reporters here Saturday. "These Club-S cruise missiles have a flight range of 275 nautical miles and can be launched from standard torpedo tubes from a depth of 35 to 40 meters," the source said. "The Club-S missiles are the most versatile with capabilities of swimming out of the sea as well as vertical launch," the source added. Sindhuvijay is the fourth Indian Navy's Kilo-class submarine that has been overhauled at Zvezdochka shipyard in northern Russia. The Kilo-class submarine is one of the quietest submarines in the world and has been upgraded. The Indian Navy had signed an 80 million dollar contract with Russia in 2001 to retrofit its entire fleet of ten Kilo-class submarines to enable them for firing Club-S cruise missiles, the source informed. "We are asking the Russians to change the design of Kilo-class submarines for test firing of its indigenous underwater launched supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles," he said. Russian Kilo-class submarines are being deployed by navies in India, China, Iran, Poland, and Algeria. (end) dr.ajs KUNA 091444 Aug 08NNNN