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The Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Vladimir Drozhzhov, said on the sidelines of the ongoing Aero India 2023 show that the development of this proposed submarine based on Amur 1650 will include a localization level of up to 80%.

This proposal comes when India is looking to sign an agreement to develop diesel-electric submarines under the P-75I this year. The country issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to five foreign contenders, including Russia, in 2021.

According to the RFP, the six planned diesel-electric attack submarines are expected to include advanced capabilities such as Air-independent propulsion (AIP), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Special operations forces (SOF), Anti-ship warfare (AShW), Anti-submarine warfare (ASW), Anti-surface warfare (ASuW), Land-attack capabilities, and other features.

However, the programme hangs in the balance after most foreign manufacturers that received the RFP, including Russia, decided against competing for the project. While proposing the co-development of the all-new sub, Drozhzhov acknowledged that Russia had backed out of Project 75I’s tender.

“Along with this, we offer our Indian partners a variant of cooperation on this topic, including the joint designing and production of a national non-nuclear submarine under the 75 (I) program based on an intergovernmental agreement,” the Russian official said.

“Taking into account our experience of working with the Indian side on other naval projects, localization of production during the implementation of the program for the construction of Project-75 (I) submarines based on the Russian platform Amur-1650 can be increased to 70-80%.”

Foreign contenders that received the RFP from India withdrew from the tender for two reasons – qualitative requirements with a particular emphasis on Lithium cell Air-Independent Propulsion and a strict liability clause that puts the obligation on the foreign partner for the submarines’ performance despite them being built in Indian shipyards.

Currently, Project 75I has only a single vendor, i.e., a South Korean company that is the only bidder offering a proven fuel cell air-independent propulsion (AIP) system.

Some reports earlier suggested that the project may even be shelved. However, the Navy Chief expressed the service’s commitment to the program before Navy day in December last year.

Several delays have already marred the project. Russia’s proposal, thus, comes at an opportune moment.

Russian Amur-1650 Submarine

Rosoboronexport describes the Amur 1650 as a diesel-electric submarine that belongs to a new generation of Russian non-nuclear submarines. According to the exporter, the vessel has been designed specially to destroy hostile navy surface combatants, transports, and submarines and lead reconnaissance parties.

Regardless of the weather, the Amur 1650 submarine can complete vital global missions. This is significant as India is looking to significantly augment its naval fleet to combat PLA Navy’s expanding presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The submarine is equipped with a powerful sonar system with low noise, high levels of automation, and the capacity to fire both torpedoes and the Club-S missile system. As per a report published in TASS in 2019, the submarine that is proposed to be jointly developed by India and Russia would also be equipped with BrahMos cruise missiles.

The submarine can carry anti-ship cruise missiles, adaptable deep-water torpedoes, and mines. It can attack enemy territory-wide terrestrial targets. The data required to launch missiles and torpedoes is created and fed into the submarine’s automated command information system.

The Amur 1650 submarine can have a fuel cell air-independent propulsion system installed, extending its underwater travel time by up to 20 days. The AIP is a core requirement of the diesel-attack submarine to be built under Project 75I and has led to most contenders withdrawing from the tender.

Further, an attack periscope with optical and video linkages (night vision included) and an optronic non-penetrating mast are incorporated into the periscope module of the submarine. The pole is also equipped with antennas for catching signals from satellite navigation systems and radars.

The GLONASS and GPS receivers in the navigation system allow for the precise determination of the submarine’s current location and the motion parameters required for safe navigation and the use of weapons.

A trailing antenna is part of the automated radio communication system and is used to receive secure command signals and data communications at depths of up to 100 meters.

Project 75I will take place under the strategic partnership model, and the capabilities will be developed in conjunction with domestic private players. India has stressed that it needs a higher level of indigenization, including in production.

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The drones were leased at the peak of the tensions between India and China in eastern Ladakh and arrived at INS Rajali sometime in November 2020.

In a recent interview, Vice Admiral MS Pawar, who was serving as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff when India leased the drone, said that the Navy was able to complete the leasing process in 37 days.

The lease of the two non-weaponised drones came in the midst of India’s plans to procure up to 30 weaponised versions of the Sea Guardian drones from the US to bolster the Navy’s overall surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean amid an increase in Chinese presence in the region.

“The maritime variant of MQ-9B, SeaGuardian, can be configured with cross-domain capabilities for a vast range of maritime surveillance operations, including Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Search and Rescue,” maker General Atomics says on its website.

In September 2020, the Narendra Modi government had unveiled a new defence acquisition procedure under which the three services were permitted to lease military equipment, hardware and platforms like helicopters, simulators and transport planes and UAVs, among others.

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Utility Helicopter (Marine)

The tender for 111 NUH was earlier being processed through the Strategic Partnership (SP) route of the procedure which last week was included by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the third positive indigenisation list.

In November 2018, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 111 NUH under the SP model, the first deal to be processed under the ambitious model meant to promote domestic private sector participating in defence manufacturing. Subsequently, the Request for Expression of Interest (REoI) to Original Equipment Manufacturers and Strategic Partners were issued in February 2019.

However, the process has since been held up as HAL jumped into the fray proposing wheeled landing gear variant of ALH with adaptations, officials said. A key requirement of the NUH was folding rotors for the helicopter to be able to fit into the ship hanger.

In October 2021, the Navy and HAL carried out a joint study to exploit ALH to maximum potential for naval operations by optimising it to 5.7 tonnes, reducing the empty weight by choice of light weight avionics and mission sensors, higher payload capability up to 600 kg for deck operations, reduced stowage dimensions to meet requirement with foldable two segment blades and modified upper control system and ASIST (Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse) traversing interface for ship deck.

Based on the suggestions in the joint study report, the Navy has issued its broad requirements to HAL in January for acquisition of 60 utility helicopters for maritime operations as per Buy-Indian IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) route of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. HAL would submit the detailed project report very soon.

The NUH will replace the ageing Chetak fleet in service in urgent need of replacement. In addition to the Chetak, the Navy operates Russian Kamov 28/31s which have been upgraded, shore based ALH Dhruvs and ageing Sea Kings and six Sikorsky UH-3Hs.

The frigates and destroyers have relatively smaller parking spaces and foldable rotors of UH Marine would allow them to be kept easily, sources said. The Navy has more than 150 warships in its fleet and wants them to be equipped with at least one helicopter each and is looking at procuring them through the Make in India route first.

In recent times, the Indian Navy has induced around 16 of these ALH Dhruv Mark 3 choppers along with an equal number of machines for the Indian Coast Guard too. For the Indian Navy also, the HAL has been offering a maritime version of the Dhruv but not much could be done due to the lack of capabilities that have been required by the maritime force for operations.

The Indian Navy warships are deployed all along the Indian Ocean Region and warships are provided with helicopters for reconnaissance and surveillance along with other operations required by the fleet to be carried out.

MH-60 Romeo Helicopters

In the first major helicopter induction in decades, the Navy is set to induct the first batch of three MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters, 24 of which were contracted from the US, in a Foreign Military Sales deal, this June to meet the urgent requirements of multirole attack and anti-submarine warfare choppers. These are a replacement of the Sea King 42/42A helicopters which have been phased out in the 1990s.

However, a contract to procure six Ka-31 early warning helicopters which was in advanced stages as well as the case for six more P-8I long range maritime patrol aircraft have been deferred by the MoD during the review of all direct import deals.

Navy Commissions Second P-8I Squadron

The Navy commissioned its second P-8I aircraft squadron – Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 – on 29 March at INS Hansa, Goa. INAS 316 has been christened ‘Condors’ after one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.

INAS 316 has been christened ‘Condors’ after one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.

INAS 316 will operate the Boeing P-8I aircraft, a multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft, that can be equipped with a range of air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes. The aircraft is a potent platform for maritime surveillance and strike, electronic warfare missions, search and rescue, providing targeting data to weapon platforms, providing time-critical surveillance information for Indian Army and IAF, and is also the platform of choice for detecting and neutralising enemy ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The squadron has been specifically commissioned to be the home for the four new P-8I aircraft procured under the Option Clause contract and to ‘Deter, Detect and Destroy’ any threat in the IOR. These aircraft have been operating from Hansa since December 30, 2021, and the squadron is integrated with full-spectrum surface and subsurface naval operations.

The Indian Navy’s first P8I squadron is INSAS 312, the ‘Albatross’. It was in 2016 that the aircraft was inducted into this squadron. It is based at INS Rajali at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu. However, the first P8I was received by the Indian Navy in 2013 and it took part in the search for the missing Malaysian airliner Flight MH 370 in 2014 in the Indian Ocean region.

India inked a $1 billion deal with the US in 2016 for the four Boeing P-8Is that are part of the second squadron. The contract was a follow-on order to eight P-8I planes bought by India in an earlier deal worth $2.1 billion.

Armed with Harpoon missiles, the P8I can carry out missions across the vast area of the Indian Ocean and help the Indian Navy maintain an effective check on the seas under its influence. The aircraft can also be used for surveillance over the land and has been in operation in Ladakh during the stand-off with China and also on the Indo-Pak border.

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Sea Dragon is a US-led multi-national exercise designed to practice and discuss Anti-submarine warfare tactics to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

The exercise, primarily focused on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training, will involve more than 270 hours of in-flight training and activities ranging from tracking simulated targets to tracking a US Navy submarine. Each event will be graded and the country scoring the highest points will receive the Dragon Belt award.

The wargame, being held at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, includes contingents from the Indian Navy, the US Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force and the South Korean Navy.

Two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft of the US Navy are participating in the drill. During classroom training sessions, pilots and flight officers from all the countries will build plans and discuss tactics incorporating the capabilities and equipment of their nations, the US Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

“As [officer-in-charge], I am eager for the opportunity to further develop our partnerships with Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and Korea while at Sea Dragon 2022,” said Lt Cmdr Braz Kennedy, officer-in-charge of the US detachment from Patrol Squadron 47.

The Royal Canadian Air Force won the Dragon Belt at last year’s exercise and is defending the title at Sea Dragon 2022.

“This exercise is an annual, multi-national high-end ASW training exercise,” said Cmdr Tomoyuki Michiyama, commanding officer of Flight Division 31 of Air Patrol Squadron 3 of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.

“I believe that by conducting a wide range of training, from classroom training on the ground to actual training targeting a submarine, we will be able to improve our tactical skills. In addition, through training, exchange of opinions, and various types of exchanges, we expect to strengthen cooperation and deepen mutual understanding among the participating navies and air forces.”

The P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft will conduct maritime patrols and reconnaissance and theatre outreach operations within the US Pacific Fleet area of operations.

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The two aircraft, manufactured by US aerospace major Boeing, arrived in India on December 30.

“The Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I aircraft commenced operations from INS Hansa, Goa with two aircraft arriving on December 30. The aircraft were inducted after fitment of indigenous equipment and flight acceptance trials,” Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

On arrival, the two aircraft were welcomed by a MiG 29K formation, he said.

The Indian Navy had acquired the first batch of eight P-8I aircraft in 2013. The aircraft are stationed at INS Rajali, Arakkonam.

“The second batch of four additional aircraft will be based at Indian Naval Air Squadron 316, to be commissioned at INS Hansa,” Madhwal said.

The existing fleet of P-8Is is extensively deployed to keep track of the movement of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region.

The P-8I, based on the Boeing next-generation 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by the US Navy.

A fleet of the P-8Is was also deployed to carry out surveillance on the movement of Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

To boost its surveillance mechanism, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two Sea Guardian drones from an American defence major over a year ago.

India has also stepped up groundwork on a long-conceived proposal to procure 30 multi-mission armed Predator drones from the US for the three services at an estimated cost of over USD 3 billion.

The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) Predator-B drones, manufactured by US defence major General Atomics, are capable of remaining airborne for around 35 hours and can hunt down targets at land and sea.

The remotely piloted drones, also known as MQ-9 Reaper, can be deployed on a range of missions including surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and destroying enemy targets.

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INS Visakhapatnam, the lead ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 October. The contract for four ships of Project 15B, as the Visakhapatnam class ships are known, was signed on 28 January 2011. This project is a follow-on of the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade.

Designed by Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation; and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai; the four ships are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country viz. Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.

The keel of Visakhapatnam was laid in October 2013 and the ship was launched in April 2015. The design has largely maintained the hull form, propulsion machinery, many platform equipment and major weapons & sensors as the Kolkata class to benefit from series production.

The 163 metres long warship has a full load displacement of 7400 tonnes and maximum speed of 30 knots. The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75%. Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with major indigenous weapons which include: –

• Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore).
• BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi).
• Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
• Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
• 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar).

INS Tushil frigate launched

The 7th Indian Navy frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on 28 Oct 2021 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia During the ceremony, the ship was formally named as ‘Tushil’. Tushil is a Sanskrit word meaning Protector Shield.

Based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and Russia for construction of two ships of Project 1135.6 ships in Russia and two ships in India at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), the contract for construction of two ships was signed between India and Russia in 18 October.

The construction of these ships is based on Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of air, surface and sub-surface. The ships with a potent combination of state-of-art Indian and Russian weapons and sensors are equipped to operate in littoral and blue waters, both as a single unit and as consort in a naval task force. They feature “stealth technology” in terms of low radar and under water noise signatures. These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as surface-to-surface missiles, sonar system, surface surveillance radar, communication suite and ASW system along with Russian surface-to-air missiles and gun mounts.

INS Vela Submarine delivered

The fourth submarine of the Project 75, Yard 11878, christened Vela, was delivered to the Indian Navy on 9 November. Project – 75 includes construction of six submarines of Scorpene design. These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France.

The submarine was launched on 6 May 2019, and has completed all major harbour and sea trials including weapon and sensor trials despite COVID restrictions. Three of these submarines are already in commission with the Indian Navy. Vela would soon be commissioned into the Indian Navy and enhance the Indian Navies capability.

INS Vikrant begins second phase of sea trials

India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant set sail on 24 October for the second sea trials, ahead of its planned induction into the Indian Navy by August next year. The 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier, the largest and most complex warship to be built in India, successfully completed a five-day maiden sea voyage in August.

Following the first sea trials, the Navy had said that the performance of key systems of the warship was found to be satisfactory. The warship has been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

The warship has been built at a cost of around ₹23,000 crore and its construction propelled India into a select group of countries having capabilities to build state-of-the-art aircraft carriers.

The warship will operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, MH-60R multi-role helicopters. It has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,700 people, including specialised cabins to accommodate women officers.

Vikrant has a top speed of around 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 7,500 nautical miles, officials said. The IAC is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and it has a height of 59 metres. Its construction began in 2009.

Eleventh P-8I aircraft received

The Indian Navy received the 11th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the U.S.-based aerospace company Boeing, according to a statement issued on 18 October. A contract for eight P-8I aircraft was signed in 2009. Later, in 2016, India signed a contract for four additional P-8I aircraft.

The Indian Navy had received the ninth P-8I aircraft in November last year and got the 10th P-8I aircraft in July this year. The patrol aircraft is an integral part of the Indian Navy’s fleet and has surpassed 30,000 flight hours since it was inducted in 2013.

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The Indian Navy is the largest foreign customer of the P8 platform. Apart from India, the US and Australia also use P8 aircraft. The Navy plans to have a total of 22 of these aircraft in the next few years to keep an eye on Chinese movements in the Indian Ocean Region, most importantly its submarines.

ALSO READ: NAVY MODERNISATION: Indian Navy to Get More P-8Is Surveillance Aircraft

Amid heightened Indo-China tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Navy’s deployed its anti-submarine warfare aircraft in eastern Ladakh to carry out surveillance in the area. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the airbases in eastern Ladakh and nearby areas.

The Indian Army had successfully used the P-8I aircraft to monitor Chinese movements along the border during the 73-day-long Doklam standoff. The aircraft were live-streaming data to support decision making during the Doklam face-off. The aircraft was also put to use “to keep an eye on movement of Pakistani troops after the Pulwama terror attack last year”.

The aircraft arrived at a time when the Indian Navy was holding the Malabar naval exercise in the Arabian Sea with its Quad partners – the US, Japan and Australia. India’s P8-I aircraft were also participating in the exercise.

Boeing’s P-8I aircraft, which is considered one of the world’s most advanced surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft, is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Purchase History

In January 2009, Boeing was selected by the Indian Government to supply eight P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft to the Indian Navy. The contract also included an option for four P-8I aircraft. The Indian Navy was the first export customer for the aircraft.

The maiden flight of the first P-8I aircraft was made in September 2011. The official flight test programme of the aircraft began in July 2012. The second P-8I aircraft performed its first flight in the same month.

The first P-8I aircraft was delivered to the Indian Navy in December 2012. The remaining aircraft were delivered between 2013 and 2015. The eight P-8I aircraft, which were inducted into the Indian Navy are armed with Harpoon Block-II missiles and MK-54 light weight torpedoes.

The countermeasures for the IN aircraft are provided by directional infrared counter-measures (DIRCM) system and the electronic support measures (ESM) system supplied by Northrop Grumman. The DIRCM can protect the aircraft from incoming infrared guided missiles.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the acquisition of four additional Boeing P-8I aircraft in mid-2016.

P-8I Design and Construction

The P-8I aircraft is based on the Boeing Next Generation 737-800 aircraft. The forward section of the under-fuselage houses an internal weapons bay. The wings are fitted with hard-points for carrying air-to-surface missiles.

The aircraft has a length of 39.47m, wing span of 37.64m and a height of 12.83m. The maximum take-off gross weight of the P-8I is 85,139kg.

The P-8I aircraft are produced by a Boeing-led industry team, comprising CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation. The aircraft are being built at Boeing’s production facility in Renton.

The fuselage is built by Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita and shipped to Renton, for fabrication and final assembly. The flight testing of P-8I is conducted from Boeing Field in Seattle. The final design review was concluded in July 2010 and production of the P-8I began in December 2010. The final assembly of the first aircraft was completed in August 2011.

The P-8I aircraft is manned by nine crew members. The cockpit is integrated with primary flight display, multifunction displays, identification friend or foe (IFF), flight management system and stores management system.

The aircraft is equipped with a CAE AN/ASQ-508A magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) system, APS-143C (V)3 multimode radar and a global version of the Raytheon APY-10 surveillance radar.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy’s P8I Moved To Ladakh

The APY-10 radar provides precise information in all-weather, day and night missions. The P-8I also integrates BEL Data Link II communications system, Avantel mobile satellite system and a speech secrecy system from Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL).

The internal weapons bay can house Mark 54 torpedoes, depth charges and free-fall bombs. The under-wing hard-points can be armed with air-to-surface missiles.

The P-8I aircraft is powered by two CFM56-7 engines supplied by CFM International, a joint venture between SnecmaMoteurs and GE Electric. Each engine provides a take-off thrust of 27,300lb. The engines are equipped with a new-generation full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system.

The P-8I aircraft can fly at a maximum speed of 789km/h and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,496m. The aircraft has a maximum range of 2,222km with four hours on station.

MiG-29K Trainer Aircraft Crashes

Indian Navy’s MiG-29K trainer aircraft crashed into the Arabian sea on 27 November. One of the two pilots on board the tandem-seat trainer was rescued, whilst the body of Commander Nishant Singh, a qualified MiG-29K instructor, was found on 7 December.

The jet had taken off for a sortie from India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. MiG-29K – the Russian-origin fighter planes – operate from the deck of INS Vikramaditya, which had taken part in the recent Malabar naval drills involving the Quad navies of US, Australia, India and Japan in the northern Arabian sea.

The MiG-29KUB trainer was part of a fleet of 45 similar Russian fighters that have been problematic ever since their induction into service from 2009.

No distress call was seemingly raised by either of the two pilots of the ill-fated platform; an investigation was launched into the accident, which was the fourth since 2018 involving the IN’s fleet of MiG-29K/KUB fighters and trainers.

In February 2020, a single-seat MiG-29K had crashed whilst on a routine flight from its base at INS Hansa in Goa, and three months later a MIG-29KUB trainer was involved in an accident following a bird strike. Earlier, in January 2018 a MiG-29K had crashed after veering off the runway at Hansa, leaving a total of some 41 of 45 platforms in operational service presently, almost half of which are kept in reserve.

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Vagir is part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built as part of Indian Navy’s Project-75.

These submarines can undertake missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.

Vagir is named after the Sand Fish, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean. The first Vagir, a submarine from Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 3, 1973, and was decommissioned on June 7, 2001 after almost three decades of service to the nation.

ALSO READ: Review of Indian Navy’s Modernisation

“Building the Scorpene was indeed a challenge for MDL, as the complexity of the simplest of tasks increased exponentially due to all work having to be done in the most congested of spaces,” MDL said in a release.

“The state-of-art technology used in the submarine has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, and hydro- dynamically optimised shape and also the ability to attack the enemy using precision guided weapons,” the release said.

The attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface, MDL said. “The stealth of this potent platform is enhanced by the special attention to her characteristic underwater signatures. These stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines,” it said.

The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force, MDL said.

“With the launching of Vagir, India further cements its position as a submarine building nation. This is in sync with the current impetus of the government towards Make in India and AtmaNirbhar Bharat,” MDL said.

Two submarines of the ongoing Project-75 Scorpeneprogramme at MDL, Kalvari and Khanderi, have been commissioned into the Indian Navy. The third submarine, Karanj, is in the last phase of rigorous sea trials. The fourth Scorpene, Vela, has commenced her sea trials, whilst the sixth and last submarine, Vagsheer, is being readied for boot together.

“Two SSK submarines built by MDL during 1992-94 are in active service, which is a testimony to the professionalism and capability of Mazagon Dock personnel,” it said.

INS Kavaratti ASW Corvette Commissioned

Army chief Gen MM Naravane, on 22 October, commissioned anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship INS Kavaratti into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Kavaratti is the last of four indigenously-built ASW under ‘Project 28’ or orKamorta-class corvettes of the Navy. It is a class of ASWs currently in service with the Navy.

 ‘Project 28’ was approved in 2003. The other three warships under this project are INS Kamorta (commissioned in 2014), INS Kadmatt (2016) and INS Kiltan (2017).

The 109 metres long INS Kavaratti (pennant number P 31) incorporates stealth features in its design as well as 90% indigenous content, including the use of carbon composites. The use of carbon composites to build it has been described as a ‘commendable feat achieved in Indian shipbuilding.

The warship has been designed by the Navy’s in-house organisation, the Directorate of Naval Design (DND). Kolkata’s Garden Research Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), meanwhile, has built it. It has state-of-the-art weapons and a sensor that can detect and take action against hostile submarines. It also has a good endurance for long-range deployments.

ALSO READ: NAVY MODERNISATION: Six P-75I Conventional Submarines to be Built

Kavaratti has completed sea-trials of all its systems fitted onboard and, hence, will be commissioned as a combat-ready platform.

The IN said in a statement that the corvette, which has an overall beam of 12.8 m and is capable of achieving speeds up to 25 kt, was commissioned as a ‘combat-ready’ platform following the completion of sea trials.

Among other things, the Kamorta class is equipped with two licence-built RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers, one Oto Melara 76 mm/62 Super Rapid gun, and four Larsen & Toubro indigenous twin torpedo launchers for the locally designed Varunastra torpedoes, which have a stated range of up to 40 km.

INS Kavaratti derives its name from the eponymous INS Kavaratti, which was an Arnala class missile corvette. The older INS Kavaratti operated during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.

Smart Shooter ‘SMASH 2000’ Rifle Sights for Navy

India’s Navy Chief, Admiral Karambir Singh, said at his annual press conference, on 3 December, that the Navy was procuring SMASH 2000 rifle sights, manufactured by Israeli company Smart Shooter, as protection against drone attacks. This acquisition, according to the Admiral, was one of the steps taken by the Indian Navy against possible naval threats on the part of China. No details were provided regarding the quantity, cost or timing of delivery. The Admiral also confirmed that Heron UAVs, which are manufactured by Israel’s IAI, were deployed on India’s northern border with China amid continuing tensions between the countries in the region of Eastern Ladakh.

The SMASH 2000 is a smart electro-optical rifle sight that includes a fire control computer. The sight significantly increases operational shooting accuracy and significantly improves the hit rate for a variety of targets, both stationary and mobile.

Smart Shooter was awarded a contract by India’s defense ministry for the supply of SMASH 2000 Plus systems that will be installed mainly on AK-47/103 rifles. According to the company, the improved accuracy and speed of hitting targets will dramatically increase each soldier’s confidence in any combat scenario and maximize operational effectiveness.

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The torpedo has been incorporated in the front sections of a missile and it carried the torpedo to the designated point and then opened it up. The range of torpedo is enhanced through many mechanisms. One of the mechanisms is a supersonic missile assisted release of the torpedo, that is how it is called SMART. The missile flies to a designated point over water, before releasing its torpedo.

When launched from a warship or a truck-based coastal battery, SMART reportedly takes off like a regular supersonic missile, covering most of its flight in the air at lower altitudes with two-way data link from the warship or an airborne submarine target detection system. Notably, it provides the exact location of the hostile submarine to correct its flight path midway. When it approaches close enough to the submerged submarine, the missile will eject the torpedo system into the water and the autonomous torpedo will start moving towards its target to take out the submarine.

ALSO READ: SMART weapon system can engage distant enemy submarines: DRDO chief

“All these operations have very successfully functioned in the very first attempt itself. So, this enhances the capability of the Indian Navy once the system gets fully proven and inducted into the armed forces. The Navy’s capability to engage submarines at far of distances is also feasible,” Dr G Satheeesh Reddy, Chairman DRDO said.

DRDO’s SMART missile could be trump card against China’s submarines. SMART has been a seemingly ‘mysterious’ project for the DRDO with few details available on what the system was, unlike the programme to build ballistic missiles or a stealth fighter.

One of the first details of what SMART is came from the ministry of defence’s annual report for 2018 to 2019. In the report, the ministry of defence noted, “DRDO has taken up a project to develop and demonstrate a missile-assisted release of light weight anti-submarine torpedo system for ASW operations far beyond torpedo range (50-650 km).” The ministry of defence also noted that ejection trials had been conducted with a Torpedo Advanced Light (TAL), an indigenously developed torpedo, which is also called the Shyena.

Anti-submarine warfare

Surface warships, particularly in western navies, have typically carried light-weight torpedoes as their primary weapon for anti-submarine warfare as heavy-weight torpedoes are significantly larger in diameter, meaning fewer can be carried.

However, light-weight torpedoes also have shorter range. For example, the Shyena is estimated to have a range of around 20km. The short range of light-weight torpedoes makes them, effectively, defensive weapons against enemy submarines.

This would pose a significant disadvantage particularly if an enemy has a large number of submarines, in particular, nuclear-powered vessels that have much higher submerged speed than conventional diesel-electric submarines.

Rocket-assisted torpedoes are not new, per se; both the US Navy and the Soviet Union developed rocket-assisted torpedoes. For example, the US Navy still operates the ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket), a rocket-propelled torpedo system that was first designed in the 1950s.

Current versions of the ASROC in service with the US Navy are estimated to have a range of over 25km and travel at subsonic speed before releasing the torpedo. China has also been developing and deploying rocket-assisted torpedo systems for decades.

SMART, on paper, would be a quantum leap for the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities, given the very-long range that DRDO has specified and its supersonic speed. The Indian Navy would need to modernise and expand its range of ship-borne and airborne anti-submarine surveillance and detection capabilities to take full advantage of the SMART missile.

The development of the SMART missile comes as China continues its near-relentless development of both nuclear-powered and conventional submarines. SMART could turn out to be a major factor in how India will counter China’s submarine menace.

A number of DRDO laboratories including Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI), both in Hyderabad; Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) in Agra; and Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NSTL) Visakhapatnam have developed the technologies required for SMART.

Anti-submarine warfare assets consist of deployment of submarines, specialised anti-submarine ships, air assets and state-of-the-art reconnaissance and detection mechanisms. The Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capability got a boost in June after the conclusion of a contract for Advanced Torpedo Decoy System Maareech, capable of being fired from all frontline warships. India has been indigenously developing and building several anti-submarine systems and vessels in the recent past.

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