India May Launch Second Nuclear Submarine by Early 2018 - Atomic Energy Dep't

© AP Photo / Rafiq MaqboolIndian Navy personnel stand on a submarine during the Presidents Fleet Review (PFR) in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India. (File)
Indian Navy personnel stand on a submarine during the Presidents Fleet Review (PFR) in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India. (File) - Sputnik International
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A senior Indian official has told Sputnik about the launch terms for the country's second nuclear submarine.

ABU DHABI (Sputnik) — India will launch a second nuclear-powered submarine by the end of this year or the beginning of 2018, Sekhar Basu, the secretary of the country's Department of Atomic Energy, told Sputnik.

"A nuclear-powered submarine, the second one, will take some time [to launch]. This year, maybe early next year," Basu said Tuesday on the sidelines of the nuclear conference in Abu Dhabi organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Khanderi, India’s second Scorpene class submarine is seen in the Arabian Sea after its launch at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai, India - Sputnik International
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India’s Second Scorpene Advanced Attack Submarine Misses Induction Deadline
In mid-October, Indian media reported that the second Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Aridhaman, was set to be launched in November or December.

INS Arihant, the first Indian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, was first revealed in 2009 and commissioned in 2016. The Indian Navy has another nuclear-powered submarine in active service, the Russian-built INS Chakra, leased to India for 10 years.

On Reactor Deal With Westinghouse

According to Sekhar Basu, India intends to continue talks on the nuclear reactor deal with Westinghouse Electric Corporation, once the US-based company has overcome its financial difficulties.

"Everybody has some problems, every company has some problem or other, once it is sorted then we will start," Basu said on Tuesday.

The company was also discussing the project with Russia's Rosatom, as well as France's EDF with no contract finalized as yet, he added.

INS Shishumar (SSK class sub) of IN enters Port of Duqm Oman for an Operational Turn Around - Sputnik International
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India Begins Deployment of Submarine in Indian Ocean Region After Long Gap
In June 2016, New Delhi and Washington agreed to begin preparatory work for the potential construction of six Westinghouse-designed AP-1000 reactors in India's Kovvada on the southeastern coast of the country as part of the Indian-US Civil Nuclear Agreement. Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy in March after exceeding the budget by about $13 billion for the construction of two nuclear plants in Georgia and South Carolina.

Most recently, Westinghouse Vice President Krish Rajan said that the company was expecting to be out of bankruptcy by early 2018 and that the bankruptcy filing was unlikely to impact the project in India.

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