July 4,
2008: An Indian government report
revealed what many naval officers already know; many of their Russian missile
systems do not work well. The Uran (Kh-35) is a 25 year old system that is an
unsuccessful clone of the U.S. Harpoon. Indians have experienced constant
problems with the guidance system. Same with the Klub (3M54), which is used by
two Russian built Kilo subs. The Klub is launched via a torpedo tubes, but
recent test firings have been failures. There is also reliability problems with
the Russian Shitl (9M317) anti-aircraft missiles used by several warships.
In
addition to design flaws and poor workmanship, there are often problems
obtaining spare parts and technical advice from the Russians. The Indian navy
also has a hard time recruiting and training sufficient missile technicians.
Getting qualified officers to supervise this maintenance is also a large
problem, as engineering school graduates have much better opportunities in
India's booming computer industry.