India's Two New SSNs to Boast 10,000-Ton Displacement, 40% Bigger Than Similar Chinese Type 093 Shang-class Subs Deployed in IOR

NEW DELHI – India's ambitious nuclear attack submarine program has taken a significant leap forward with the recent Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval for the construction of two new SSNs.

Reports from Times of India indicate these submarines will displace nearly 10,000 tons, making them substantially larger and potentially more capable than previously estimated.

This places them in the same league as the US Navy's formidable Virginia-class Block V submarines and significantly ahead of China's Type 093 Shang-class SSNs currently deployed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

These new submarines will be 40% larger than China's Type 093s, which displace around 6,400 tons. This size advantage translates to increased endurance, allowing for longer patrols and potentially greater weapons payload.

Experts believe the submarines will be equipped with Vertical Payload Tubes (VPTs) capable of housing a variety of advanced weaponry, including subsonic cruise missiles like the Nirbhay and potentially hypersonic cruise missiles currently under development, such as Project Vishnu HCM or BrahMos-2K.

The ability to deploy hypersonic missiles, which travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, would give India a significant edge in both offensive and defensive capabilities within the region.

These missiles are extremely difficult to intercept, providing a credible deterrent and enhancing India's first-strike options. In addition to cruise missiles, the submarines will also be armed with heavyweight torpedoes for both anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare.

India's focus on developing a robust and technologically advanced submarine fleet is seen as a direct response to China's growing naval presence in the IOR.

Beijing has been increasingly assertive in the region, deploying its own nuclear submarines and surface vessels. These new Indian SSNs, with their enhanced capabilities and advanced stealth technology, are expected to play a crucial role in maintaining India's naval dominance in the region.

The development of these 10,000-ton nuclear attack submarines also sets the stage for India's next-generation S5 class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Projected to displace 13,000 tons, the S5 will follow the S4 and S4* SSBNs, which have a 7,000-ton displacement.

Both the SSN and S5 programs will utilize 190 MW pressurized water reactors (PWR) and feature modern pump-jet propulsion systems for enhanced quiet operation.

 

[Akshat]

Venturing into uncharted waters all alone may take a decade or more to build SSN with such capacity and capabilities. Why only 2, increase the numbers now itself as Chinese are going to counter it.

You will have to allocate resources right now. So once the first one is near completion, extend the order by another 2. There is also the possibility that it may not be good enough and significant modifications are needed.

 

[AK S]

Your "please" will not work with MDL.

It didn’t work with French Naval Group in case of Scorpene.

 

[Sudha]

It didn’t work with French Naval Group in case of Scorpene.

The problem was with MDL for they couldn't absorb the tech fast enough & looking at a further collaboration for P75I they didn't absorb all the tech also. Man, update your GK.

 

[AK S]

Highly doubtful. I am not going to trust news sources claiming to have an 'in' on the nuclear submarine program. A lot of people don't realise just how secretive the SSN and SSBN programs are. Until Arihant's launch in 2009 and satellite imagery of Visakhapatnam harbour, very few people knew of the program's existence. Even so, Arihant's specifications were only known about around 2012, when she was first spotted by satellite imagery.

Moreover, given our lacking budgets, I personally find it difficult to believe we will go for such large SSNs, given these will be our first SSNs too. My opinion is that the Project 77 boats will simply be a modified Arihant hull with the SLBM section either removed or replaced with a VLS module for SLCMs.

Regardless, nothing can be said for sure until we actually see the boat, which won't be around 2030 or so at the earliest.

I’d tend to agree. Sub of this size will cost lot more. We have been paying close to $3B towards ten year lease of much smaller Russian SSN. Unofficially we might be paying for Russian nuclear submarine tech transfer too. But still.

 

[Akshat]

It’s really interesting how nervous Frenchie are. In SSN article they talk about HAL.

IF so, shed some light on the French role in cost and schedule escalation in Mirage upgrade and Scorpene development or recently revealed 7 years needed for integration of Indian Radars on Rafale M. Add to it 5 years and $1.5B by Dassault for delivering first Rafale with all of India specific entrancements. Our DPSUs have proven to be lot more efficient than your venerable Dassault.

By the way, tell us how many Rafales your venerableDassault delivered thus far this year .. 7 oh … could be 8 too. Amazing. You control entire ecosystem and with a much larger installed capacity. Compare it with HAL a DPSU and stuck with engine non-delivery.

So you wanted Indian Navy to procure Submarines for IAF? (Since the original commentator wanted to have IN take control of IAF procurement) 😂😂😂

As for Scorpene, we all know the delays came from DRDO. Remember how they promised the AIP from first sub but then couldn’t deliver and at last they had to chop that off? In Mirage, we again had HAL involved and cause the delays, no?

As for Rafale and Uttam, they were actually doing a pretty fast job, assuming that the rumors of delivery in 7 (I heard 8 actually) were true. I mean, DRDO is targeting to complete the project for integration of AESA radar on Sukhoi in 7 years. Dassault is saying they will integrate Uttam on Rafale in 4 years (+3 years to deliver the first plane after that). And we all know DRDO has delays in every single program of theirs. So how is it even slow?

Our PSUs have caused delays and went over budget on every project. Our friend France at least doesn’t do that. See how fast and on time Rafales came with ISE.

7 or 8??? 😂😂😂 They have delivered over 12 since April itself. 😂😂😂 And unlike you, I am quoting the official figure.

 

[Anjali]

There is a factual error in reporting S4 and S4* submerged displacement as 7000 Tons. This figure is correct for S2 and S3 (Arihant and Arighat respectively); both S4 and S4* are stretched version of Arihant class with submerged displacement of 8000+ Tons.
As of now, India has two options for the planned SSNs; one based on Arihant platform with the same propulsion reactor (86 MW thermal) but fine tuned for the specific requirements of SSN such as higher maximum underwater speed. The second option is one based on the S5 platform, again the 190 MW thermal propulsion reactor of S5 will need to be fine tuned for SSN. The big difference is that the Arihant reactor is proven, S5 as yet is not proven. We ought not to forget that every new design is unproven till first used, Arihant reactor and the entire platform was also not proven till Arihant was commissioned and deployed. This is true for any new design anywhere in the world.

The decision for initial sanctioning of only 2 number of SSNs and 3 number of S5 class SSBNs is correct. Lot of new technologies are emerging. Pump jet propulsion is one which has been deployed by all other countries possessing nuclear submarines. All electrical propulsion instead of the conventional one used in nuclear boats utilising RIM motor is another. There are many more. We ought to try to modify the design to absorb these technologies midway in the programme rather than waiting till the next generation of boats.

 

[AK S]

WOW!! Astounding piece of news on paper while in performance.... well we all know about performance. MDL is what HAL is, inefficient. Hope the naval planners will keep a decade of buffer in cost escalation as well as delivery dates for delivery delays by MDL & plan accordingly.

Typical French propaganda.

We know the French role in cost and schedule overruns in Scopenes. Even the tech transfer hasn’t been smooth to say the least … that’s been the case with most of western purchases. But French has been notorious in this regard.

 

[Sandeep]

Nuclear attack submarines are a critical requirement for our navy as we need large and very fast submarines to cover the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. This submarine will be around 10000T big which is essential so that it can carry more heavy torpedoes and different types of cruise, subsonic and hypersonic missiles.

As for China's nuclear submarines which one of them sank before they had even finished developing their own technology and capabilities which doesn’t inspire any confidence to their poor technology and how’s it’s unreliable, faulty, problematic and dangerous.

 

[Anant]

What a condescending comment without any basis. It is a typical anti national attitude fully knowing that security wise Bharat is in a weak position where fighters & subs are concerned. He is right except the awareness of making of a nuke sub by India. ATV was really a open secret for a long time (couple of decades) which made US pressurise Russia not to collaborate.

I meant secretive as in the actual specifications were released only around 2009 in the public domain. Of course, in the geopolitical arena, it would have been known far sooner, as you pointed out.

 

[beencensured]

Nuclear attack submarines are a critical requirement for our navy as we need large and very fast submarines to cover the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. This submarine will be around 10000T big which is essential so that it can carry more heavy torpedoes and different types of cruise, subsonic and hypersonic missiles.

As for China's nuclear submarines which one of them sank before they had even finished developing their own technology and capabilities which doesn’t inspire any confidence to their poor technology and how’s it’s unreliable, faulty, problematic and dangerous.

They may not have experience or technology of Americans or Russians but they are improving their technology and eventually may better or equal them.

 

[Rajesh]

10000 t ssn can't believe it because till recently it was a 6000t ssn. Anyways it is not from any official channel or source but the usual propoganda stuff. 190 mw for a 10000 ssn🤔. 6000 is too small for vls in the era of hypersonic cruise missiles usage,maybe a 8000-8500 like the russian yasen-m ssn.

 

[Double Tap]

10000 t ssn can't believe it because till recently it was a 6000t ssn. Anyways it is not from any official channel or source but the usual propoganda stuff. 190 mw for a 10000 ssn🤔. 6000 is too small for vls in the era of hypersonic cruise missiles usage,maybe a 8000-8500 like the russian yasen-m ssn.

yasen class is 14k ton submerged

 

[Vijay Anand]

Your "please" will not work with MDL.

First and foremost, it's SBC at Vishakapatnam, not MDL, "please" get your facts right....

And despite the previous delivery history with DPSUs, as a general public paying huge tax, there's nothing wrong in hoping for quick delivery...

and lately lot of bashing to HAL? You got disinvested or what? Lol

 

[Sandeep]

They may not have experience or technology of Americans or Russians but they are improving their technology and eventually may better or equal them.

Their recent nuclear attack submarines that has sunk now show and prove otherwise. They claim a lot but in reality their technology, equipment, weapons etc are not as good as they like to claim.

 

[Yikes]

Nuclear attack submarines are a critical requirement for our navy as we need large and very fast submarines to cover the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. This submarine will be around 10000T big which is essential so that it can carry more heavy torpedoes and different types of cruise, subsonic and hypersonic missiles.

As for China's nuclear submarines which one of them sank before they had even finished developing their own technology and capabilities which doesn’t inspire any confidence to their poor technology and how’s it’s unreliable, faulty, problematic and dangerous.

Why is bro hating when we ourselves do not have one of our own, at least China has indigenous manufactured Nuclear subs

 

[Rajesh]

yasen class is 14k ton submerged

There r two types yasen and yasen-m.

 

[Sandeep]

Why is bro hating when we ourselves do not have one of our own, at least China has indigenous manufactured Nuclear subs

We have nuclear submarines already. Their submarines aren’t as good as they say it is as their technology is unreliable, faulty, defective and underpowered than what they say it can do. They have complete control of the media so they never allow people to highlight the problems and defects in their projects or weapons which occur regularly. One of their brand new nuclear submarine sank while it was in harbour.

 

[Radium]

May be after this 10,000 ton class submarine deploymet, China will feel the heat and accept India also as a super power on par with it and will acknowledge it and accept giving permanent member to India in UN.

If not, then India will screw China after its next version. he he.

Chinese netizens have long believed that India is a superpower second only to the United States, and by 2030, India will surpass the United States

 

[Double Tap]

There r two types yasen and yasen-m.

There is only one submarine of 855 class rest all operational or under construction are 855m and they are 13.4kT submerged , Laika-class which is successor sub of Yasen-m will be shorter lighter and faster with 11-11.5kT submerged , expected to enter service by 2035 onward

 

[Radium]

May be after this 10,000 ton class submarine deploymet, China will feel the heat and accept India also as a super power on par with it and will acknowledge it and accept giving permanent member to India in UN.

If not, then India will screw China after its next version. he he.

BTW: India is already one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council on YouTube.