Navy's indigenous nuclear attack submarines to be 95 per cent Made in India

In a major boost to the submarine technology in India, the first three nuclear attack submarines would be having 95 per cent Made in India content in them and it would further go up in the next three. A proposal worth nearly Rs 50,000 crore for indigenously building three nuclear attack submarines have been considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security, which would be built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Visakhapatnam. 

According to the government sources, "The nuclear attack submarine project would be a big boost for the indigenous submarine capability as 95 per cent of it would be made in India. This would provide a big boost to the domestic defence sector including both private and public sector". 

Six nuclear attack submarines 

The three nuclear attack submarine project is different from the Arihant class project under which six nuclear-powered submarines are being built with the capability of launching ballistic missiles. In March, the Indian Navy had informed the Central government that the induction of six nuclear-powered submarines would take priority over a third heavy aircraft carrier to counter the rapid expansion of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and dominate the Indian Ocean. 

The sources said, "For the six nuclear attack submarines, the planners are confident that they would be able to complete the project without any external help but if required, they may take the help of one of its strategic partner countries".

The project is expected to generate a large number of jobs in the defence sector, as it would generate a large number of jobs in the defence sector. 

Project 75 India

Project 75 India or P75I is the first under the strategic partnership model, promulgated in 2017 to boost indigenous defence manufacturing. The first submarine built under the project is likely to be completed by 2030. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had permitted the Indian Navy to select an Indian strategic partner company that, in collaboration with a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), will build six conventional attack submarines in the country. 

According to a report released in March 2020, there are 15 conventional submarines and two nuclear submarines in the Indian Navy and the majority of the conventional submarines are over 25 years old. In June 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security, in June had approved a 30-year submarine-building plan which included the construction of 24 conventional submarines indigenously by 2030.

The first six conventional boats are already under construction in Mumbai under the Kalavati class project while the tender for the next six with greater capability would be issued soon after recent clearance by the Defence Ministry. There is a plan to build six more conventional submarines under Project 76, which is an IN program to acquire at least 12 SSKs of indigenous design by leveraging the capabilities built up via the P-75 & P-75I license build programs. 

Till date, India has only one nuclear submarine, INS Arihant. The INS Arighat is also a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, to be commissioned soon. The first Arihant class boat was commissioned a few years ago and the second one INS Arighat is also undergoing sea trials and is expected to be commissioned in near future. 

(With ANI input)

(Image Credit: AP/PTI)