India's 6 SSNs By the 2040s

GhalibKabir contrubued to the post below. On 10 October 2024 India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in August 2024, authorised the laying down of 2 Project 77 SSNs costed at a total of US$4.7 billion.

Project 77 (formerly Project 75 Alpha) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_77-class_submarine is India’s program to build a class of 6 of its first nuclear powered attack submarines SSNs. In February 2015 the CCS authorised the eventual construction of those 6 SSNs costing all up US$14 billion (a figure that will increase greatly over time). These are being designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and built in India at the Ship Building Centre adjacent to India’s Fleet Base East (east coast) complex at Visakhapatnam (often shortened to “Vizag”). Design and some construction has commenced with the first SSN expected to enter service around 2040. Three Indian Arihant-class SSBNs have already been produced at the Ship Building Centre.

India's submarine developments, including Project 77 (was Project 75 Alpha) are described 2 minutes 20 seconds into the above youtube from Athena Defence (uploaded 2024).
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India’s SSNs are likely to be heavily influenced by Russian SSN technology especially the submarine reactor. This is because India leased a Russian Charlie I  SSN (K-43) known in Indian service as INS Chakra I and a Russian Akula II SSN (K-152 Nerpa) in Indian service called INS Chakra II. Convention submarine technology in the French and German submarine classes India has purchased for decades and Indian information gathering on other designs are also likely to influence India’s SSN design.

India’s SSNs will be powered by one CLWR-B2 pressurised water reactor (see right sidebar here) with an output of 190MW (thermal). This is a development of the Russian OK-650 reactor also rated at 190MW (thermal) converting to 34MW (electrical). For the 34MW figure see right sidebar here.

Weapons (Missiles)

India’s SSNs may have 8 to 12 VLS for BrahMos I or II (900 to 1,500km range) supersonic or hypersonic cruise missiles and Nirbhay subsonic cruise missiles (1,500km range). All these weapons are nuclear capable. India may have discontinued  Russian produced Club anti-ship cruise missiles by the time the SSNs are commissioned in the 2040s.

While 12 VLS slots are likely, subsonic cruise missiles might be loaded 3 to a VLS and larger BrahMos at one to a VLS. So up to 3 x 12 = 36 missiles could be carried in VLS. More missiles might be accommodated if a Universal Vertical Launch Module (UVLM) is added and if it is modified to more than 1 metre diameter.

Since subsonic missiles can get launched through the 533 mm torpedo tubes as well, depending on layout, 6 missiles could get carried in the torpedo section.

GhalibKabir has spotted this excellent article https://www.strategicfront.org/project-77-an-analysis-of-the-indian-navys-nuclear-attack-submarine-program/ which supports much of what has been written above.

Torpedoes, India’s new and future conventional submarines (SSKs) and UUVs will be raised in a post next week.

GhalibKabir