Indian Navy SSN programme

Class overview
Builders:	Shipbuilding Centre Visakhapatnam
Operators:	Indian Navy
Planned:	6
General characteristics
Type:	SSN (hull classification symbol)
Propulsion:	1 × propeller shaft PW Nuclear
Range:	unlimited except by food supplies
Armament:	torpedoes, cruise missiles

The Government of India approved the construction of six new nuclear powered attack submarines (SSN) in February 2015. These will be designed by the Navy's in-house Directorate of Naval Design and indigenously built in the Shipbuilding Centre at Visakhapatnam. Expertise gained in the construction of the Arihant class SSBNs will be transferred to the SSN project. Since India is a traditional user of Russian nuclear submarines (with INS Chakra on lease) the new domestically built submarines would be third class of SSN operated by Indian navy after leased Charlie-class submarine and Akula-class submarines. All six submarines are expected to be constructed in India under the Make in India programme.

Development

The submarines will be powered by a miniature pressurised water reactor (PWR) being developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre which has already supplied a similar 83 MW miniature reactor for the Arihant-class submarine SSBNs.

See also

• List of active Indian Navy ships
• Arihant-class submarine
• INS Varsha
• Submarines of the Indian Navy