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Russia to sell anti-submarine missiles to India

The missile weighs 112.5 kgs and can fly up to 4.3 kms before plunging into water. Once submerged, a projectile separates from the 90R to home in on submarines located as deep as 1,000 metres, according to Splav's official website.

The 90R can destroy torpedoes at a depth of 10 metres, Defense News reported quoting Russia's state-owned export agency.

The 90R is claimed to have a hit probability of 80% and is eight times more efficient than the unguided rockets originally installed in Splav's RBU-6000.

India and Algeria, Defense News said, are among the countries that will have 90Rs installed on the RBU-6000 anti-submarine missile systems of the ships they intend to buy from Russia.

A senior Indian Navy officer confirmed that the Indian Navy would buy 90R missiles for its Russian-designed Project 17 stealth warships, which will be built by India's Mazagaon Docks at a cost of about $170 million each. The first warship will be commissioned by December 2007, the Defense News said.

While Russia's warship exports remain largely limited to diesel submarines, frigates and hovercraft, the country still 'has the edge' in the international market of naval missiles, deputy head of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow, Konstantin Makienko said.

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