LOC14:44
11:44 GMT
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