India Builds Fleet of Advanced Nuclear Attack Submarines

India is making significant progress in developing a fleet of its own nuclear-powered attack submarines. This ambitious project, launched in 2015, will significantly boost the country's underwater defense power.

Known as Project 75 Alpha, this initiative involves collaboration between major Indian defense organizations. The goal is to build six cutting-edge, 6000-ton submarines designed for a wide range of missions, including anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, special forces operations, and intelligence gathering.

To maximize their effectiveness, these submarines will have advanced targeting systems linked to aircraft and drones, providing real-time battlefield information. India is particularly interested in acquiring state-of-the-art pumpjet propulsion technology, likely through international partnerships or by developing its own system.

Over the next two years, detailed designs will be finalized, with construction starting within five years. These submarines represent a major leap forward for India's defense industry. They will greatly increase the Indian Navy's capability to deter adversaries and project power, ensuring regional stability and supporting India's strategic goals.

 

[sanket]

All this project may b Tracked after June 2024.

 

[Anant]

So, in summary, the design will be finalized by 2026, with construction starting by 2031. Yeah, we aren't getting the first boat until 2040 or so.

 

[Olef hitler]

So, in summary, the design will be finalized by 2026, with construction starting by 2031. Yeah, we aren't getting the first boat until 2040 or so.

Construction may start way before you think

 

[Pink Panther]

Why can’t you make a conventional Diesel electric submarine based on this why German or Spanish, all we need is AIP, we don’t need the whole submarine.

 

[PARTHAJIT JANA]

Why can’t you make a conventional Diesel electric submarine based on this why German or Spanish, all we need is AIP, we don’t need the whole submarine.

Navy chief said the same thing in an interview with bharatshakti that they have the expertise to build ssk. But Here is why i think they are going for p75i. First except scorpenes all subs of indian navy will be 30-40 yrs old in 2030 which should be retired, so there will be a huge capability and technological gap even if they are not retired and continued till 40. Even if navy starts to design from today it will take minimum 5-10 years to complete the design and then another 2-3 years to start the production ,so at best 2035 to first indigeous diesel sub if everything goes well which doesnt happen in India. So, they need a great no of subs before indigenous ssk can be developed. Thats why extra 3 scorpenes and 6 p75i subs to fill the nos. 2nd, navy wanted to know the best of both western and russian sub building process in its 30 year submarine plan in 1999. Probably french didnt give much of tot in scorpene ,thats why they are going for another western sub for knowhow. Lets see if that can fulfill . But i doubt it, untill you build it yourself and improve block by block you are not going to get the knowledge or know how. My guess is, after 6 p75i another 3 will be extended, then we can see the indigenous subs coming.

 

[Anant]

Construction may start way before you think

Perhaps, and while the project will be shrouded in a lot of secrecy like the Arihant-class was and is, even if construction could start in 2027, the first boat would not enter service until 2035-37.

 

[Anant]

Navy chief said the same thing in an interview with bharatshakti that they have the expertise to build ssk. But Here is why i think they are going for p75i. First except scorpenes all subs of indian navy will be 30-40 yrs old in 2030 which should be retired, so there will be a huge capability and technological gap even if they are not retired and continued till 40. Even if navy starts to design from today it will take minimum 5-10 years to complete the design and then another 2-3 years to start the production ,so at best 2035 to first indigeous diesel sub if everything goes well which doesnt happen in India. So, they need a great no of subs before indigenous ssk can be developed. Thats why extra 3 scorpenes and 6 p75i subs to fill the nos. 2nd, navy wanted to know the best of both western and russian sub building process in its 30 year submarine plan in 1999. Probably french didnt give much of tot in scorpene ,thats why they are going for another western sub for knowhow. Lets see if that can fulfill . But i doubt it, untill you build it yourself and improve block by block you are not going to get the knowledge or know how. My guess is, after 6 p75i another 3 will be extended, then we can see the indigenous subs coming.

Very true. If we assume a 40 year life on the Kilo-class and a 45 year life on the Type 209-1500s, then out of the 11 older submarines, we will have 1 submarine retiring in 2026, 1 in 2027, 1 in 2028, 1 in 2029, 1 in 2030, 3 in 2031, 1 in 2037, 1 in 2039, and the last in 2040. By this point, we would have 9 Scorpenes, 6 Project 75I boats, and upto 4-6 Project 76 boats. That is 19-21 boats against a target of 24-30. Another three Project 75I boats isn't impossible, but is unlikely unless Project 76 gets delayed.

As for Project 75I, the 1999 submarine plan envisioned 12 submarines to be procured from overseas in 2 batches of 6 (Projects 75 and 75I). The idea back then was that one of these classes would be Western and one would be Russian. However, while Russia did offer the Lada- and Amur-classes for these tenders, they were rejected on the basis of either not being developed enough (in the Amur design's case), or having seen massive problems in design (in the Lada design's case). However, Russia would later offer the Improved Kilo-class (Project 636) instead of the rectified Lada-class. The Navy did not want new Kilo-class submarines to replace old ones, and so the Russians were out.

 

[Akshat]

So, in summary, the design will be finalized by 2026, with construction starting by 2031. Yeah, we aren't getting the first boat until 2040 or so.

If design is finalized by 2026, what will they do between 2026 and 2031?

 

[Anant]

If design is finalized by 2026, what will they do between 2026 and 2031?

I imagine stuff like pursuing negotiations and CCS clearance, as well as procurement of long-lead items? If we do procure stuff like pumpjets from France (which is very likely), negotiations for that will take a while as well.

 

[kumar]

If the project started in 2015, a sub construction should have begun. Anyways, better late than never.

 

[Sandeep]

These nuclear submarines can't simply mix and match different technology, propulsion, software, weapons, combat suite and hardware etc from France or India. This submarine will definitely be Indian and they will use a lot of the technology and capabilities that we developed on the Arihant submarines. France will never give any help in nuclear technology or pump jet propulsion as it breaks their and international laws.

 

[beencensured]

So, in summary, the design will be finalized by 2026, with construction starting by 2031. Yeah, we aren't getting the first boat until 2040 or so.

They should be planning a fleet of thirty of these type of submarine. popping out atleast two an year. Hopefully they will adequate capacity as India by then atleast third largest economy.

 

[Anant]

They should be planning a fleet of thirty of these type of submarine. popping out atleast two an year. Hopefully they will adequate capacity as India by then atleast third largest economy.

And how exactly do you propose paying for 30 SSNs? A fleet that size would cost around 100 billion dollars and isn't going to be a reality for atleast another 40-50 years.

 

[Anant]

These nuclear submarines can't simply mix and match different technology, propulsion, software, weapons, combat suite and hardware etc from France or India. This submarine will definitely be Indian and they will use a lot of the technology and capabilities that we developed on the Arihant submarines. France will never give any help in nuclear technology or pump jet propulsion as it breaks their and international laws.

Nuclear technology cannot be openly traded. A pumpjet isn't nuclear technology. It will certainly raise some eyebrows, but that sort of technology can be traded, assuming both sides can reach a mutual agreement, of course.

 

[Swanand Kulkarni]

If design is finalized by 2026, what will they do between 2026 and 2031?

S5 class submarines construction

 

[Pink Panther]

Navy chief said the same thing in an interview with bharatshakti that they have the expertise to build ssk. But Here is why i think they are going for p75i. First except scorpenes all subs of indian navy will be 30-40 yrs old in 2030 which should be retired, so there will be a huge capability and technological gap even if they are not retired and continued till 40. Even if navy starts to design from today it will take minimum 5-10 years to complete the design and then another 2-3 years to start the production ,so at best 2035 to first indigeous diesel sub if everything goes well which doesnt happen in India. So, they need a great no of subs before indigenous ssk can be developed. Thats why extra 3 scorpenes and 6 p75i subs to fill the nos. 2nd, navy wanted to know the best of both western and russian sub building process in its 30 year submarine plan in 1999. Probably french didnt give much of tot in scorpene ,thats why they are going for another western sub for knowhow. Lets see if that can fulfill . But i doubt it, untill you build it yourself and improve block by block you are not going to get the knowledge or know how. My guess is, after 6 p75i another 3 will be extended, then we can see the indigenous subs coming.

I doubt if any Country will share any TOT no matter how much we spend, it should not be another Scorpene, unless we are given any tech we won’t learn anything new.

 

[PARTHAJIT JANA]

I doubt if any Country will share any TOT no matter how much we spend, it should not be another Scorpene, unless we are given any tech we won’t learn anything new.

That is true, but every small details of engineering matters, thats why indigenisation. More the levels of indigenisation more your industry get to know about different parts which will help in our own ssk.

 

[desigandu]

India should strive for pump jet technology and lithium ion batteries along with AIPs, to become aatmanirbhar in ssks and ssns, which i foresee only by 2035-2040, from P-76s and Project Alpha. It is okay to be slower initially as long as we have a long term plan and execute with the sole goal of atmanirbharta, of most core Defense technology by 2040…In any case strict avoidance of a war (power projection is okay but a war can put us back), rapid economic development along with pursuit of Defense capability for about 25 years should make Bharat a global power…

 

[Sandeep]

Nuclear technology cannot be openly traded. A pumpjet isn't nuclear technology. It will certainly raise some eyebrows, but that sort of technology can be traded, assuming both sides can reach a mutual agreement, of course.

Yes I know pumpjet isn’t nuclear but this article is talking about something that’s unrealistic. The French already rejected any deal on developing nuclear submarines either attack or ballistic submarines.