Kalvari, the maiden vessel of the class, at sea. | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Kalvari class |
Builders | Mazagon Dock Limited |
Operators | Indian Navy |
Preceded by | |
Succeeded by | Project 75I-class submarine |
Cost | |
In commission | 2017 – present |
Planned | 9 [1] [2] |
On order | 3 |
Completed | 6 |
Active | 5 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Attack submarine |
Displacement |
|
Length | 67.5 m (221 ft 5 in) [3] |
Beam | 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) [4] |
Height | 12.3 m (40 ft 4 in) [3] |
Draught | 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in) [4] |
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range | |
Endurance | 50 days [6] |
Test depth | 350 metres (1,150 ft) [7] |
Complement |
|
Electronic warfare & decoys | C303/S anti-torpedo countermeasure system [8] |
Armament |
|
The Kalvari-class submarines, formally classified as the Project-75 submarines (P-75), is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines operated by the Indian Navy (IN). [9] Currently being constructed by a syndicate of French and Indian shipyards, namely, Naval Group and Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) respectively, the class is an export derivative of the French-origin Scorpène-class submarine, originally designed by Naval Group. [10]
A namesake of the former-Foxtrot-class submarines that the IN operated between 1967 and 2010, the class was originally planned in the late-1990s as an initial phase of a 30-year long naval rearmament roadmap to replace the IN's conventional submarine fleet, namely the Sindhughosh-class and Shishumar-class submarines. [11] [12] India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) ordered an introductory batch of six submarines in 2005, at an initially-estimated cost of ₹ 13,000 crore (equivalent to ₹440 billionorUS$5.5 billion in 2023); of the ordered six, five are currently in operational service. [13] In addition to the first batch, a proposal for the purchase of three more submarines was approved in 2023, at an estimated cost of ₹ 36,000 crore (US$4.5 billion). [14]
First introduced to operational service in 2017, the submarines are currently operated by the IN for a variety of missions, namely, littoral surveillance, intelligence gathering, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and minelaying operations. [9]
In 1997, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) - the highest-decision making body of India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), approved a proposal for the purchase of two Type 209/1500 attack submarines (SSK) for the Indian Navy (IN), at a then-estimated cost of INR ₹700 crore. [15] The two examples of the design , originally conceived by the German-based Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, were proposed to be built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), located in Mumbai, with the assistance of a foreign naval firm in a corroborative role. [15]
In accordance with the scheme, the IN and MDL approached several naval enterprises for assistance; however, the French-based Thomson-CSF (TCSF) was the only firm willing to participate. [15] Two years later, in 1999, the MoD approved a two-phase plan to build 24 submarines over a 30-year period. [15] For the first phase, which called for the construction of SSKs at MDL, two options were proposed: the former option recommending the construction of the Type 209/1500 at MDL with the assistance of TCSF; the latter option recommending the construction of SSKs based on the newer Scorpène submarine design, conceived by the French-based Armaris (later DCNS, now Naval Group). [15]
Ultimately, the IN chose the latter, reasoning that the Scorpène, which had been offered with a provision of technology transfer (TOT), was more advanced than the Type 209/1500. [15] Another reason for choosing the Scorpène design was because of the IN’s interest in acquiring submarine-launched missiles. [15] At the time, the French-designed Exocet, the US-designed Harpoon and the Russian-designed Kalibr were the only such missiles that were commercially obtainable; however, the Harpoon was unavailable to the IN and the Kalibr was incompatible with the Type 209/1500's torpedo tubes. [15] This led to the Exocet being preferred and subsequently, the Scorpène design. [15] It was also thought that the Scorpène design won the deal because of its capability to fire Exocet anti-ship missiles and an agreement on the air-independent propulsion. [16]
Batch-I:
On 6 October 2005, India signed a series of contracts for transfer of technology to construct six submarines at MDL with Armaris, along with the supply of SM39 Exocet missiles manufactured by MBDA. DCN International was designated as the prime contractor in partnership with Navantia. Armaris was responsible for supply of combat systems and technical advisors for construction of submarines at MDL. Valued at a then-total cost of €2.4 billion, [17] the deal included a 30% offset clause and a delivery timeline wherein the six ordered units were to be delivered between 2012 and 2017. [17] [18]
Batch-II:
On 10 July 2023, the MoD's Defence Procurement Board (DPB) greenlighted the acquisition of three additional submarines, which was further cleared the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) three days later, on 13 July. [19]
In December 2023, MDL submitted a bid of over ₹ 20,000 crore (US$2.5 billion) to construct the three submarines, equipped with higher measures of indigenously-developed technology along with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) module for enhanced underwater endurance. [20] [21]
2006-07: The steel cutting for the first submarine, the Kalvari, commences on 14 December 2006, with its hull construction beginning on 23 May 2007. [3] [22] However, work stalls when public disclosures reveal that the 2005 agreement had omitted the procurement of specific components - including engines, generator and raw materials. [23] The issue prompts the MoD to establish a public entity, the Mazagaon Procured Materials (MPM), to directly procure the aforementioned materials. [24] Protracted negotiations between the MoD and DCNS for the components lead to the additional sanctioning of ₹4,764 crore by the CCS, which further delays the project by two years. [25]
2011: The project suffers another setback following a breach and flooding at MDL’s dockyard in which components, including sections of the already fabricated hull of at least one of the six units, are submerged under seawater; however, the incident is dismissed by the IN as a "minor obstacle". [23]
2015: The project suffers further delays when Navantia exits the project. [26] After eight years in construction, Kalvari is finally launched in October 2015 and commences sea trials a year later, on 1 May 2016. [3]
2016: In June, initial plans to purchase ninety-eight Black Shark torpedoes from the Italian-based munitions manufacturer Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS) was cancelled in response to corruption allegations against WASS's sister company, AgustaWestland. [27] [28] Although alternatives, such as the SeaHake torpedoes from Germany's Atlas Elektronik and the F21 torpedoes France's Naval Group were considered, the MoD resorts to install its existing inventory of older AEG SUT 264 torpedoes on the submarines as a stopgap measure. [29] [30]
2017-19: The second unit, the Khanderi, is launched in January 2017, which is soon followed by the commissioning of Kalvari in December 2017. [31] The third and fourth units, the Karanj and the Vela respectively, are launched between January 2018 and May 2019, while Khanderi is commissioned in September 2019. [32] [33] [34]
2020-21: The fifth unit, the Vagir, is launched in November 2020, [35] while Karanj and Vela are commissioned between March and November 2021, respectively. [36] [37]
2022-23: The sixth and final unit of the class, the Vagsheer, is launched in April 2022, [38] which is soon followed by the commissioning of Vagir in January 2023. [39] The same month, India's Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) and Naval Group reach an agreement to integrate NMRL's locally-developed AIP technology on the six submarines. [40] Vagsheer commences its maiden sea sortie in May 2023, with delivery scheduled for early-2024. [41] [42]
2024: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) grants an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) in February 2024 for the purchase of forty-eight heavyweight torpedoes for the submarines under a global tender as a stopgap measure until an indigenous option, supposedly a submarine-launched version of Varunastra torpedo, becomes available. [43] [44]
The Kalvari class is capable of offensive operations across the entire spectrum of naval warfare including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance. [45] It has a length of 67.5 m (221 ft 5 in), height of 12.3 m (40 ft 4 in), overall beam of 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) and a draught of 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in). It can reach a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) when submerged and a maximum speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) when surfaced.
The hull, fin and hydroplanes are designed for minimum underwater resistance and all equipment inside the pressure hull is mounted on shock absorbing cradles for enhanced stealth. [3] Special steel was used in its construction which has high tensile strength, capable of withstanding high yield stress and hydro-static force. Each submarine has 60 km (37 mi) of cabling and 11 km (6.8 mi) of piping. [45]
The class displaces 1,615 tonnes (1,589 long tons ) when surfaced and 1,775 t (1,747 long tons) when submerged. [46]
The submarine is powered by two 1,250kW MAN diesel engines, which are complemented 360 battery cells (750 kg, 1,650 lb each) that powers a Permanently Magnetised Propulsion Motor for extremely-silent underwater operation, thus allowing it have an operational range of around 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when surfaced. [4] [47]
In addition to surfaced operations, the six submarines are expected to be equipped with fuel-cell air-independent propulsion (AIP) modules for extended endurance during submerged operations. [48] The modules, which were originally designed by India's Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), are powered by ruggedized phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC), which are expected to give the submarines an estimated 14 days of underwater endurance without having to resurface. [48] [49]
The six Batch-I submarines are expected to retro-fitted with the AIP modules during their respective mid-life refits, the first of which begins in mid-2024, while the three Batch-II submarines that yet to be purchased are planned to be equipped with the AIP modules during the construction phase with technological oversight from Naval Group. [50] [51]
This class is equipped with six 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes for a combination of 18 heavyweight wire-guided German-made Surface and Underwater Target (SUT) torpedoes and SM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles or 30 mines in place of both. [52] [53]
The class is also fitted with mobile C303/S anti-torpedo decoys for self-defence. [28] [3] The weapon systems and sensors are integrated with Submarine Tactical Integrated Combat System (SUBTICS). It has a sonar system is capable of Low Frequency Analysis and Ranging (LOFAR) enabling long range detection and classification. [3] Each submarine has a complement of 8 officers and 35 sailors. [54]
On 24 March 2024, a Kalvari class submarine reached, the Campbell Bay, the southernmost port of India in the Nicobar Islands, for the first time. [55] [56]
Name | Pennant | Yard | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batch-I | |||||||
Kalvari | S21 | 11875 | Mazagon Dock Limited | 27 October 2015 [3] | 14 December 2017 [57] | Active | |
Khanderi [58] | S22 [59] | 11876 | 12 January 2017 [60] | 28 September 2019 [34] | |||
Karanj | S23 | 11877 [61] | 31 January 2018 [32] | 10 March 2021 [62] [36] [63] | |||
Vela [64] | S24 | 11878 [65] | 6 May 2019 [33] | 25 November 2021 [37] | |||
Vagir [35] | S25 | 11879 [66] | 12 November 2020 [35] | 23 January 2023 [39] [67] [68] | |||
Vagsheer | S26 | 11880 | 20 April 2022 [38] | March 2024 (expected) [69] | Sea trials [42] | ||
Batch-II | |||||||
TBD | Mazagon Dock Limited | To be ordered [19] | |||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
Air-independent propulsion (AIP), or air-independent power, is any marine propulsion technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen. AIP can augment or replace the diesel-electric propulsion system of non-nuclear vessels.
The Scorpène-class submarines are a class of diesel-electric attack submarines jointly developed by the French Naval Group and the Spanish company Navantia. It features diesel propulsion and an additional air-independent propulsion (AIP). It is now marketed as the Scorpène 2000.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), formerly called Mazagon Dock Limited, is a shipyard situated in Mazagaon, Mumbai. It manufactures warships and submarines for the Indian Navy and offshore platforms and associated support vessels for offshore oil drilling. It also builds tankers, cargo bulk carriers, passenger ships and ferries.
The Nilgiri-class frigates, formally classified as the Project-17 Alpha frigates (P-17A), are a series of stealth guided-missile frigates currently being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), for the Indian Navy. The seventh and final ship of the Project 17A frigates, named Mahendragiri, was launched on 1 September 2023 at the Mazagon Dock by Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of Indian vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar. It is expected to be commissioned in 2024.
INS Vagir (S41) was a Vela-class diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy.
The Indian Navy has been focusing on developing indigenous platforms, systems, sensors and weapons as part of the nation's modernisation and expansion of its maritime forces. As of November 2023, the Indian Navy has 67 vessels of various types under construction including destroyers, frigates, corvettes, conventional-powered and nuclear-powered submarines and various other ships. It plans to build up to a total of 200 vessels and 500 aircraft by 2050. According to the Chief of the Naval Staff's statement in December 2020, India has transformed from a buyer's navy to a builder's navy.
INS Kalvari (S21) is the first of the six indigenous Scorpène-class submarines currently in service with the Indian Navy. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which is designed by DCNS and was manufactured at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
Project-75 (India), simply referred to as the P-75(I) program, is a military acquisition initiative affiliated to India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), aimed at the planned procurement of diesel-electric submarines for the Indian Navy (IN). Originally conceived in 1997, the initiative's objective has been to procure a class of six conventionally-powered attack submarines for the Indian Navy Submarine Arm, as a replacement for the force's Sindhughosh-class submarines.
INS Khanderi (S22) is the second of the Indian Navy's six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which was designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS and manufactured at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
INS Karanj (S23) is the third submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine based on the Scorpène class, designed by French naval defence and energy group DCNS and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited, an Indian shipyard in Mumbai. The submarine was launched on 31 January 2018, delivered to Indian Navy on 15 February 2021, commissioned on 10 March 2021 in Mumbai in presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and Admiral (Retired) VS Shekhawat.
INS Vela (S24) is the fourth submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine based on the Scorpène class, designed by French naval defence and energy group DCNS and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited, an Indian shipyard in Mumbai. The first cutting of steel for the submarine began on 14 July 2009, and the ship was launched on 6 May 2019.
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INS Vagir (S25) is the fifth submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine based on the Scorpène class, designed by French naval defence and energy group Naval Group and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited, an Indian shipyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
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18 torpedoes and missiles can be carried otherwise 30 mines.