To Lease or Not to Lease

[Feanor]

I was wondering about the strange reports around the new Russian Akula-II class sub. Allegedly it was built under an order from the Russian MoD, but there are persistant rumors that it's being leased to India. Even our own defencetalk.com article on the front page mentions the dichotomy, but doesn't bother to explain it any further. Here's a rian.ru article with the same problem in it.

http://rian.ru/defense_safety/20081031/154165150.html

[stigmata]

Perhaps it's a way to dodge non proliferation treaties, but still (sell) lease nuclear tech ?

[Feanor]

Well actually I really want to know whether the sub will be part of the VMF or leased to India?

[funtz]

The news has been around for a long time, i think back when the gorshkov modification talks were going on similar talks were underway about a old soviet style nuclear submarine lease.

Are the authorities in russia responding to questions about the submarine?