The Russian Navy reports of an accident on a nuclear submarine deployed in the Pacific, which took place today, on November 8, 2008. According to the Navy, the submarine was at sea undergoing sea trials when the fire control system accidentally switched on killing "more than 20 people" of the 208 people on board. Among the killed are members of the crew as well as representatives of a shipyard (presence of the shipyard workers explains the large number of people on board - normal crew size is 73 people). The reactors as well as other vital systems of the submarine were not affected and the submarine is returning "to its temporary base".
The type of the submarine is not known at this point. It is fairly certain that this is not a ballistic missile submarine. It may be one of the attack submarines of the Project 971 class - as one report points out, it was reported in October that a submarine of this class was undergoing sea trials in the Pacific.
UPDATE: One important note - the submarine almost certainly does not have any nuclear weapons on board. First, it wouldn't carry them during sea trials. Then, Russian submarines (other than ballistic missile submarines) do not carry nuclear weapons.
UPDATE: It was indeed a Project 971 submarine. This boat, K-152, was built at the Komsomolsk-na-Amure shipyard for the Indian Navy.
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I'm assuming this submarine, the INS Chakra in Indian naval service, was still under Russian naval control and the testing was part of the trial, transfer & acceptance process. Sad day for all submariners.
Frank Shuler
USA
This submarine is for russian navy 100%.
It was reported that russia does not export nuclear submarines and that media reports about possible leasing submarine to india is just media speculations.
Yeah...it is Chakra.
http://red-stars.org/spip.php?breve1204
reports that it was transfered from Komsomolsk-na-Amure to Vostok shipyard at Bolshoy Kamen for fitting out.
Obviously they intended to lease this boat to the Indian Navy (like a Charlie I back in the 80ties).
Cheers
I thought the russian PM stayed that Russia does not export nuclear submarines
They do not export it. They lease it
This horrid NUCLEAR accident shows us two things. First, that nuclear IS NOT SAFE, and secondly, that Putin, like McCain can LIE [...] when it comes to covering the nuclear genie's ass when they screw up.
If everything is AL on the Chakra, let inspectors outside Russian do their own inspections.
Nuclear is not safe, not vital, and not secure. and all governments need to come clean on the number of cancer deaths being spawned by these demon children from hell.
Royce, with all due respect, you just wrote a bunch of garbage. The accident was not nuclear in nature. No nuclear fallout occured. No radiation leaks. Nothing. What happened was the automatic fire-fighting system went on and a number of people were killed and injured as a result. Before you post a comment, please do some research.
Somehow I dont think any government would allow "outside inspectors" on a nuclear attack submarine... something about state secrets and all that mumbo jumbo.
That and this accident had nothing to do with "nuclear" as you put it, it was an accidental discharge of the halon fire suppression system which eliminates oxygen to put out a fire (but in this case suffocating a bunch of people). Could have happened on a diesel SSK.
It was no an accident of the nuclear parts of the sub. It was the anti-incendiary system that ill-functioned. It may also occur in a conventional vessel. Royce, be calm, stop the hysteria and stop to scream asking by “inspectors outside Russian…”
Royce, as far as we know it was an accident involving the fire suppression system and had nothing to do with the nuclear reactor of the sub. So yes it was a HORRID accident but it was certainly NOT a NUCLEAR accident.
As for the outside inspectors I would assume that if indeed it is the Chakra there will be some Indian Navy observers doing their work. But I wouldn't expect that there will be American, British or Chinese inspectors invited any time soon. LOL
"UPDATE: One important note - the submarine almost certainly does not have any nuclear weapons on board. First, it wouldn't carry them during sea trials. Then, Russian submarines (other than ballistic missile submarines) do not carry nuclear weapons."
WRONG! SSNs (971s included) CAN carry nuclear arsenal on board in form of nuclear "tipped" cruise or anti-ship missiles. To state something to the contrary is like denying the very purpose of a modern SSN.
971: Yes, of course, they can carry nuclear cruise missiles. But they don't do that in peacetime.