No dealings on aircraft with Russia: Indian Navy

REWORKING: The naval top brass may now reconsider upgrading the programme for the Kilo class submarines.

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• India start on a winning note in Olympic qualifiers
• Antony snubs Navy Chief over ties with Russia
• Russia hikes aircraft price, India refuses to buy it
• Multi-crore fund scam exposes rift, corruption in judiciary
• Schoolkids suffer as violence in Jammu Kashmir shuts school
• Tamil Nadu minister accused of abduction, sacked

Keywords: Missile, India

Eastern Seaboard: From Indo US relations to Indo Russian ties, they are certainly catching a chill.

And for that matter, India is getting increasingly vocal about its unease with its principal defence supplier--Russia.

After the bitter spat over the acquisition of the Russian aircraft carrier Gorshkov, the Indian Navy is now going public with another sore issue-- the Klub cruise missile.

Inducted to be the main strike weapon of India's submarine arm between 2001 and 2006, this anti-ship cruise missile has never hit a target.

Seven of India's 10-kilo class submarines and the three Talwar class stealth frigates have been fitted with this weapon.

"There are problems that we have overcome but we are having dialogues,” says FOC-in-C, Eastern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral PS Suthan

India is reported to have acquired over 200 Klubs at a cost of several thousand crores. And the missiles have never reached anywhere close to the stated range of 300 km.

The failure of the Klub cruise missiles has raised fresh doubts about the reliability of Russia as an arms supplier.

The naval top brass now concedes that it may have to reconsider the entire upgrade programme for the Kilo class submarines.

“We will look into other missiles,” says Vice-Admiral Puthan.

New options for India have made the reliability deficit with Russian equipment harder to digest.

The US has already made in-roads with the Vulcan Phalynx weapon system, installed on board the newly-acquired troop carrier ship, INS Jalashwa.

The Phalynx is the world's most proven close-in missile defence system, and it's the first lethal weapon system supplied by the US to India.

Also, it is the first time that a non-NATO country has been provided this weapon"

So the continuing problems with Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov's modernisation refit project has become the most visible symbol of the rancour creeping into the relationship.