DRDO and WDB Set to Finalize Design of Project-76 Submarine with 70-80% Indigenous Content by Late 2025

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) are collaborating on Project-76, an ambitious endeavor to design and develop a new generation of indigenous conventional submarines for the Indian Navy. This project is expected to significantly bolster India's self-reliance in underwater warfare capabilities.

By late 2025, the DRDO and WDB are anticipated to finalize the design of these 3,000-4,000-ton submarines. The project approval is expected to be granted sometime between 2028 and 2029, paving the way for construction.

The Indian Navy envisions a fleet of six submarines built under Project-76, with a remarkable 70-80% indigenous content. This emphasis on domestic production is expected to stimulate India's defence manufacturing sector and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

Project-76 builds upon the foundation laid by Project-75I, which aims to procure six next-generation submarines through international collaboration. This new project represents a natural progression towards greater self-sufficiency in submarine acquisition for the Indian Navy.

France has offered its pump-jet propulsion technology for the program, aiming to enhance efficiency across most of the submarine's performance range. Project-76 will also incorporate design elements from both Project-75I and Project-75 submarine design programs.

 

[sanket]

India should go for 9 Subs under project 76 instead of 6 . it takes Time to manufacture subs order should place before production stage & not after 6 subs are delivered.

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

Considerably Delayed . The project must commence production by 2025 to be off meaningful use .

 

[Anant]

1. If the design is finalised by 2025-26, we need final project approval within a year of that. Only then cam construction begin in 2028-29, with the first boats entering service sometime in the second half of the 2030s (right in time to replace the last of the Kilo-class and Type 209-1500 boats).

2. We need 12 SSKs, not 6. Coupled with the 3 planned SSNs under Project 75A, this would give us 30 attack submarines, which is a bare minimum.

2. A 3,000 to 4,000 ton displacement indicates that the boats may well have a VLS module. If such a module is not present, perhaps the Project could be broken into two batches of 6 boats each, with Batch 2 incorporating a VLS module (8-16 cells for SLCMs).

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Army and air force should also have their inhouse design beureaus to collab with DRDO and HAL so that everyone is on same page regarding specifications and requirements. It should not happen again that army says what DRDO is giving us, is not what we asked for.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

1. If the design is finalised by 2025-26, we need final project approval within a year of that. Only then cam construction begin in 2028-29, with the first boats entering service sometime in the second half of the 2030s (right in time to replace the last of the Kilo-class and Type 209-1500 boats).

2. We need 12 SSKs, not 6. Coupled with the 3 planned SSNs under Project 75A, this would give us 30 attack submarines, which is a bare minimum.

2. A 3,000 to 4,000 ton displacement indicates that the boats may well have a VLS module. If such a module is not present, perhaps the Project could be broken into two batches of 6 boats each, with Batch 2 incorporating a VLS module (8-16 cells for SLCMs).

If design is finalized by 2025-26, does that leave enough time to learn from P75I and incorporate what we learn into the design? More time should be taken for design IMO

 

[Ranjeet Singh]

First indigenous efforts must be for French Pump jet tech and further upgrade home grown AIP tech !

 

[Vijay Anand]

Army and air force should also have their inhouse design beureaus to collab with DRDO and HAL so that everyone is on same page regarding specifications and requirements. It should not happen again that army says what DRDO is giving us, is not what we asked for.

Army has one already. I believe ASMI is one of the products which gained limelight recently is from ADB.

 

[Vijay Anand]

India should go for 9 Subs under project 76 instead of 6 . it takes Time to manufacture subs order should place before production stage & not after 6 subs are delivered.

Better than 6, but I guess 9 isn't enough considering non availability due to mid life upgrades, servicing and refits. That too when we will allocate some numbers for carrier battle groups.

unless there's a successive program to 76, immediately to work on ground after the last P76 sub is delivered, we need to increase the number

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Army has one already. I believe ASMI is one of the products which gained limelight recently is from ADB.

That was developed by a colonel. And developing an SMG is good but it is not comparable to WDB designing a sub

 

[Vijay Anand]

That was developed by a colonel. And developing an SMG is good but it is not comparable to WDB designing a sub

Agree, I think the colonel/soldier was part of ADB or ADB had developed some other similar looking gun. Not able to recollect properly. Just wanted to say that army had it's own ADB.

Even I would love to see army developing big toys withing it's DB just like WDB for Navy. Glad that they've got started at least.

 

[beencensured]

1. If the design is finalised by 2025-26, we need final project approval within a year of that. Only then cam construction begin in 2028-29, with the first boats entering service sometime in the second half of the 2030s (right in time to replace the last of the Kilo-class and Type 209-1500 boats).

2. We need 12 SSKs, not 6. Coupled with the 3 planned SSNs under Project 75A, this would give us 30 attack submarines, which is a bare minimum.

2. A 3,000 to 4,000 ton displacement indicates that the boats may well have a VLS module. If such a module is not present, perhaps the Project could be broken into two batches of 6 boats each, with Batch 2 incorporating a VLS module (8-16 cells for SLCMs).

We need abut 24 of these types of submarines as that would suit in 2030-2040 period relevant to economic and military status which India will emerge as a pre-eminent superpower in this period. Also many subs will retire in this period. Obvious they can make significant upgrade after each batch.

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

If design is finalized by 2025-26, does that leave enough time to learn from P75I and incorporate what we learn into the design?

If design is finalized by 2025-26 the Project-76 would actually be ahead of Project-75i.

Anyways, don't expect much from 75i.

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

There is actually a good reason for SSKs. The Bay of Bengal especially is not a very deep sea and also is more muddy, making it a good use case for smaller SSK to hide efeectively in the sedimentary waters.

 

[kumar]

Finalize p75I quickly. Need to move fast on ssk, so p76 can be started quickly.

 

[shivkumar sinha]

Submarines production is going MRFA way . It is better to focus on P-76 to avoid unacceptable terms of foreign collaboration.

 

[Tls Mani]

If the design concept is ready put it for approval & start prototype work. Spoon feeding from foreign vendors will never help. Never mind some failures,that will help in future design & adoption

 

[Shanker]

India should go for 9 Subs under project 76 instead of 6 . it takes Time to manufacture subs order should place before production stage & not after 6 subs are delivered.

I think that 6 will naturally progress into 9 or 10 if those subs proved good, as it's happening for Scorpenes now!

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

If design is finalized by 2025-26 the Project-76 would actually be ahead of Project-75i.

Anyways, don't expect much from 75i.

P75I would actually be very advanced hunter killer subs. It is just that the tender needs to be completed by this year.

 

[The_rED_dEVIL]

India needs

• 27 Diesel subs (AIP):- 9 Kalvari (P75), 6 P75I, 12 P76
• 8 SSBNs:- 4 Arihant, 4 S5 class
• (At least) 6 SSNs in the first phase (P75A; 6000 tonnes with VLS)

In later phases, more will be required as they will accompany Aircarft carriers and SSBNs. Diesel subs (all with AIP) will be required for coastal surveillance.