Kalvari-class submarine (2015)

For the Foxtrot-class submarine, see Kalvari-class submarine (1967).

Kalvari, the maiden vessel of the class, at sea
Class overview
NameKalvari class
BuildersMazagon Dock Limited
Operators Indian Navy
Preceded by
Succeeded byProject 75I-class submarine
Cost
  • ₹23,652 crore (equivalent to ₹340 billion or US$4.1 billion in 2023) for six units
  • ₹3,942 crore (equivalent to ₹57 billion or US$680 million in 2023) per unit (FY 2016)
In commission2017 – present
Planned9[1][2]
On order3
Completed6
Active5
General characteristics
TypeAttack submarine
Displacement
  • Surfaced: 1,615 tonnes (1,589 long tons)
  • Submerged: 1,775 tonnes (1,747 long tons)
Length67.5 m (221 ft 5 in)[3]
Beam6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)[4]
Height12.3 m (40 ft 4 in)[3]
Draught5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)[4]
Propulsion
  • 4 x MTU 12V 396 SE84 diesel engines[4]
  • 360 x battery cells
  • DRDO PAFC Fuel Cell AIP (expected to be added in Fleet I submarines from September 2025 onwards)
Speed
  • Surfaced: 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
  • Submerged: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range
  • 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 550 nmi (1,020 km; 630 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) (submerged)[5]
Endurance50 days[6]
Test depth350 metres (1,150 ft)[7]
Complement
  • 8 officers
  • 35 sailors
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.[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][10] 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 billion or US$5.3 billion in 2023); of the ordered six, five are currently in operational service.[12] 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$4.3 billion).[13]

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]

  1. ^ Ghosh, Sanchari (10 July 2023). "PM Modi to ink deal with France to acquire 26 Rafale-M fighters, three attack submarines". The Mint.
  2. ^ "India Drops Plans to Add 3 More French Stealth Attack Submarines". The Diplomat. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference pib-13dec17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Rahmat, Ridzwan (7 June 2017). "India's second Scorpène submarine begins sea trials". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017.
  5. ^ Commodore Stephen Saunders, ed. (2005). "India". Jane's Fighting Ships 2005-2006 (108th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 308. ISBN 0710626924.
  6. ^ "India, France to ink Scorpene deal". The Times of India. PTI. 27 September 2005. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Scorpene 1000". DCNS. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  8. ^ Bedi, Rahul (31 January 2018). "India launches third Scorpène-class submarine". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Kalvari-Class Attack Submarines, India". www.naval-technology.com. 28 October 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Explained: India's Kalvari class of submarines, and its strategic significance". indianexpress.com. 19 November 2020.
  11. ^ "The Indian Navy's Potent Conventional Submarine Capability". www.forbes.com. 1 April 2020.
  12. ^ "The Scorpene deal". frontline.thehindu.com. 7 October 2005.
  13. ^ "Modi in France, Navy gets €10 bn boost as proposal for 26 Rafale-Ms, 3 Scorpenes cleared". theprint.in. 13 July 2023.