India's push for self-reliance in defence technology has reached a new milestone with the development of the Jalkapi, an Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV).
This ambitious project, currently under development, is poised to become the largest unmanned submarine in India's defence arsenal, significantly enhancing the Navy's underwater capabilities.
The initial design of the Jalkapi XLUUV was revealed at Aero India 2025, a major defence exhibition held in Bengaluru in February.
Developed by Hyderabad-based Rekise Marine Private Limited, the Jalkapi represents a significant step forward in India's indigenous defence innovation efforts.
This 20-ton unmanned submarine is designed to significantly improve underwater surveillance and strategic operations, particularly within the crucial Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
A scale model showcased at the Rekise Marine exhibit revealed the Jalkapi's sleek, cylindrical design, optimized for stealth and efficient movement through water.
The XLUUV is 11 meters long and is built to operate at depths of up to 300 meters. It is important to know that, the average depth of the Indian Ocean is 3,741 m. This operational depth makes the Jalkapi suitable for a range of missions.
Further, the submarine has impressive staying power, it is capable of operating autonomously for 30 to 45 days, a duration comparable to leading international models like Boeing's Orca XLUUV.
This extended endurance is achieved through a diesel generator that recharges the onboard lithium-ion batteries. The system allows the Jalkapi to surface, recharge, and resume its mission without requiring direct human intervention.
The Jalkapi's design incorporates specifications from the Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design (Submarine Design Group). It features a comprehensive array of sensors and instruments. This includes cameras for visual and infrared observation, multi-beam echo sounders for mapping the seabed, passive sonar to avoid obstacles, and sensors to measure water conductivity, temperature, and depth.
The Jalkapi's autonomous navigation is managed by a sophisticated system built on the ROS2/DDS framework, ensuring these various components work together seamlessly for fully autonomous, long-duration operations.
Rekise Marine was awarded the Jalkapi contract through the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) Aditi 1.0 initiative, a program launched by the Ministry of Defence in 2024 to foster innovation in the defence sector. This selection underscores the increasing contribution of India's private sector and smaller enterprises (MSMEs) to defence research and development.
Despite being a relatively small, robotics-focused company, Rekise Marine successfully competed against larger firms, showcasing its expertise in underwater automation and its close collaboration with the Indian Navy.
The Jalkapi's substantial size and payload capacity distinguish it from smaller autonomous underwater vehicles currently used by India. The 20 ton displacement capacity opens the possibility of different roles and uses for submarine.
Its 20-ton displacement allows for a wider range of potential applications, including supporting anti-submarine warfare efforts, conducting mine countermeasures, and performing electronic surveillance to detect enemy signals.
