ARKHANGELSK, January 26 (RIA Novosti) - An Indian Navy diesel-electric submarine was handed back to the service in an official ceremony following a major refit at Russia's Zvezdochka shipyard on Saturday.
The contract for the refit and modernization of the INS Sindhurakshak (S63), a Project 877 EKM (NATO Kilo-class) submarine was signed in June 2010.
Part of the refit involved installation of equipment for Klub-S (3M54E1 anti-ship and 3M14E land attack) cruise missiles and over ten Indian and foreign-made systems including the Ushus hydro-acoustic (sonar) system and CSS-MK-2 radio communications system. In addition, the boat's cooling system was modified, a "Porpoise" radio-locater fitted and other work carried out "increasing the boat's military capacity and safety."
The boat is due to set sail for Mumbai on January 29 via the northern sea route, accompanied by Russian ice-breakers. It will be the first time an Indian submarine has undertaken a handover in ice conditions.
The Sindhurakshak was laid down in one of Russia's oldest shipyards, the Admiralty Wherf yard in St Petersburg in 1995. She was launched in 1997 and delivered in December that year.
The boat displaces 2300 tons, carries 52 crew, has a top speed of 19 knots and diving depth of 300 meters. Zvezdochka, which specialises in repair and refit of nuclear-powered boats, has already refitted four of India's diesel-electric fleet, Sindhuvir (S58), Sinduratna (S59), Sindhugosh (S55) and Sindhudvhaj (S56).
