[V.Narayan]

50th Anniversary of the Indian Navy's Submarine Arm

President RN Kovind presents the Submarine Arm with the President's colours on 8th December 2017

The Submarine Arm of the Indian Navy completed 50 years of service to the nation on 8th December 2017. On that day in 1967, INS Kalvari, our first submarine was commissioned at Riga, USSR. The old INS Kalvari served 29 years till 1996. A new INS Kalvari, this time a very modern Scorpene class boat built at Mazagon Docks, will formally commission next week.


8th December 1967. The tri-colour goes up on the first INS Kalvari in Russia's freezing winter and the silent service is born. {this photo has appeared on T-BHP earlier}



The President of India presenting the President's colours, to the Submarine Arm, on 8th December, 2017 at Vizag.


Then...old Foxtrot class diesel-electric boat...2400 tonnes; 17 knots; 7 days endurance underwater


Now...nuclear powered attack submarine INS Chakra; ~8000 tonnes; 35 knots+; unlimited endurance underwater

The senior most Indian submariner who commanded the first INS Kalvari, Commander KS Subramanian has, I believe, sailed over the horizon. However the second senior most submariner Rear Admiral Arun Auditto is very much with us as a sprightly man in his mid-eighties settled in Mumbai.

A thankful salute to all submariners of the Indian Navy from Team BHP.

Jai Hind.

Some milestones:

1962: First batch of Indian naval officers sent to UK for submarine training
1967: First submarine commissions
1986: First submarine to submarine killer (SSK) boat enters service
1988: First nuclear powered submarine enters service, on lease from the USSR
1992: First submarine built in India commissions
2000: First Indian submarine fitted with a underwater launched cruise missile
2016: First Indian built, Indian-designed, nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine enters service
2017: INS Kalvari, first of a new generation of diesel-electric submarines built in India to be commissioned in December 2017
2017: Govt of India launches programme to design and build 6 nuclear powered attack boats

[V.Narayan]

INS Kalvari commissioned by the Prime Minister. First diesel-electric submarine to join the fleet in 17 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today, commissioned INS Kalvari, a Scorpene class submarine, built in India under collaboration with France. INS Kalvari is an SSK i.e. it is a submarine to submarine killer in addition to being able to sink ships or lay mines to create a blockade.

A Scorpene submarine displaces ~1600 to 1800 tonnes and can cruise underwater on a single battery charge for 550 nautical miles (~1000kms) at 5 knots (~9 kmph). While the top speed is publicly stated to be 20 knots it is not so important for a submarine which is the original stealth weapon. How long it can cruise silently ie at or below 5 knots is the key for a submarine. And the Scorpene is said to be very very silent. Silent enough to merge with the ambient noise inside the sea thus effectively becoming invisible to a listening passive sonar post. Her official diving depth is 350 metres. These are all 'official' figures. The actual are often a lot better.

The vessel is equipped with 18 long range 533mm torpedoes that can be used against either submarines or ships. It can also carry Exocet SM.39 anti-ship missiles which are launched from underwater (thus keeping the submarine safer than it would be on the surface). The Exocet SM.39 can attack a ship at ranges upto 110 kms after being fired underwater through the torpedo tube. She is also equipped for other key tasks such as laying mines, inserting commando teams ashore, gathering radio intelligence off enemy coasts amongst others.

She is the first diesel-electric submarine to enter service with the Indian Navy in 17 years. This is the longest drought we've suffered with regard to inductions of new conventional submarine since the arm started 50 years ago.

The 2nd submarine of the class INS Khanderi is under going sea trials and should be commissioned in 2018. The 3rd INS Karanj is nearing completion.
and expected to join the fleet in 2019.


INS Kalvari at its launch in 2015


Prime Minister Modi at the commissioning of the submarine


INS Kalvari in harbour during trials


Exocet submarine-borne underwater-launched anti-ship missile with a range of ~110 kms. The missile (in white) is encased in a torpedo like device (green outer casing) with which it gets to the sea surface and then launches air borne as a sea skimmer.


INS Kalvari, at sea, breaking surface from a dived position.


The boats crest.

Congratulations to the officers and workers of Mazagon Docks for constructing this fine boat. And our best wishes to the officers and men who will man this submarine over the next quarter century.

Jai Hind.

[jraj]

I hope you can also add here when MDL got the contract for the P75 project and I am sure you will also be aware that any build being the first will run through hiccups. We had hiccups with the Arihant and we also continue to have hiccups with the first ever AC being built at Cochi shipyard with L&T running into issues with transmission for the carrier. From what I have understood,they are yet to overcome that. All these are part of any new build we take up and with time the builds come out quicker.

[ptushar]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

INS Kalvari commissioned by the Prime Minister. First diesel-electric submarine to join the fleet in 17 years

What a pentafabulous thread. First and foremost thanks for putting this together. This is simply superb.

Now a few questions.
1. Seventeen years without a submarine rollout; does this put us at risk of a depleting fleet in the coming years? Especially when our neighbours are beefing up their fleets and even leasing ports around us in the IOR
2. How long foes it take for a submarine to move from commissioning to being operational?
3. Last, but certainly not the least, does the navy allow for general public to see ships on any specific days. I remember that I once went I saw INS Vikrant and one more ship (I forget the name) long back as a kid, on Navy day.

[sgiitk]

We have a large program for II and III get Nuclear subs to be made. So things will change. For subs Nukes have many advantages.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

[b][u]
Now...nuclear powered attack submarine INS Chakra; ~8000 tonnes; 35 knots+; unlimited endurance underwater

Thanks for this write up, very nice.

On this unlimited endurance; of course even a nuclear reactor runs out of steam (pardon the pun) at some point in time, but it is measured in years I believe.

From a practical point of view the only limitation on underwater endurance is how much provisions they can take for the crew. Air and water are all made on board and is essentially unlimited, but at some point in time you would run out of food.

I have often wondered with respect to food on these nuclear subs. Of course, during normal operations they will have regular foods.

But if the situation calls for it (nuclear war/thread) would they carry dedicated rations, similar to say food as used by astronauts. (Very low volume/weight high energy/protein, only add a bit of water). You could store a lot of this sort of food in a small space for emergencies.

Jeroen

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Thanks for this write up, very nice.
From a practical point of view the only limitation on underwater endurance is how much provisions they can take for the crew. Air and water are all made on board and is essentially unlimited, but at some point in time you would run out of food. I have often wondered with respect to food on these nuclear subs. Of course, during normal operations they will have regular foods.

To best of my knowledge food is carried in the frozen state till needed. Most navies serve the best and tastiest food on their submarines with usually unlimited helpings of ice cream. Yes the amount of food and the crews psychological endurance are the key limiting factors.

Originally Posted by ptushar

Now a few questions.
1. Seventeen years without a submarine rollout; does this put us at risk of a depleting fleet in the coming years? Especially when our neighbours are beefing up their fleets and even leasing ports around us in the IOR

Our submarine fleet which was one of the newest and most modern in 1991 with 20 boats has depleted to 16 of which 11 are older than 25 years. The economic difficulties of the 1990s plus the collapse of USSR in 1991 plus decisions not taken in the last decade to purchase a pair of Kilo class boats from Russia all contributed to this situation.

2. How long foes it take for a submarine to move from commissioning to being operational?

For industrially advanced nations like USA or Germany that are used to building submarines 3 years is the time taken to build. The first of the class could be 4 to 4.5 years to allow for first of class trials and corrections. Countries like India who are comparatively new to submarine building take longer - 6 to 7 years for the first and 4 to 5 years for subsequent ones.

3. Last, but certainly not the least, does the navy allow for general public to see ships on any specific days. I remember that I once went I saw INS Vikrant and one more ship (I forget the name) long back as a kid, on Navy day.

Mumbai, Vizag and Cochin do have public visit days maybe once a year. Your best bet would be to get invited as a guest of a naval officer for a family day at sea.

I hope you can also add here when MDL got the contract for the P75 project and I am sure you will also be aware that any build being the first will run through hiccups. We had hiccups with the Arihant and we also continue to have hiccups with the first ever AC being built at Cochi shipyard with L&T running into issues with transmission for the carrier. From what I have understood,they are yet to overcome that. All these are part of any new build we take up and with time the builds come out quicker.

I do not recall any sentence of mine criticizing Mazagon Docks or Cochin Shipyard or L&T saying they took too long or any other statement. In the main article you will find words of appreciation on the national capability that is being built by these organizations. I do understand it takes time to build national competence and know-how. In the early 1980s Indira Gandhi (who was then also the RM) asked the Navy to do a study on what it would take to develop our own nuclear submarine. This was when we had not even built a submarine ever let alone a nuclear one. Vice Admiral Subimal Mukherjee, then the Vice Chief did an honest study and explained it will take us 35 years at least and Madame Gandhi said, "then Admiral we have no time to lose. Lets start right away!" It takes a leader of stature to think of the next generation. And today INS Arihant is our first indigenously designed & built nuclear submarine. Mukherjee's assessment was spot on.

P75 was and is one of the largest defence projects, it ran 4 to 5 years late, the French played their games, occasionally the bureaucracy contributed to the delays making things more difficult for Mazagon Docks & the Navy.

[mpksuhas]

Came across this news article in today's Hindu newspaper Bangalore edition.

News link

Nuclear submarine was damaged after water entered its propulsion chamber
Indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant has suffered major damage due to ''human error'' and has not sailed now for more than 10 months, say sources in the Navy.

Arihant is the most important platform within India’s nuclear triad covering land-air-sea modes.

Arihant’s propulsion compartment was damaged after water entered it, according to details available with The Hindu. A naval source said water rushed in as a hatch on the rear side was left open by mistake while it was at harbour.

The Ministry of Defence did not respond to questions from The Hindu.

The accident
Since the accident, the submarine, built under the Advanced Technology Vessel project (ATV), has been undergoing repairs and clean up, the sources said.

Besides other repair work, many pipes had to be cut open and replaced. “Cleaning up” is a laborious task in a nuclear submarine, the naval source said.

The Arihant issue rose soon after INS Chakra, the Nerpa class nuclear submarine leased from Russia, was reported to have suffered damage to its sonar domes while entering the Visakhapatnam harbour in early October. However, INS Chakra has only a peripheral role in the nuclear triad, for both training and escorting, and Arihant is the one that will carry nuclear missiles.

The absence of Arihant from operations came to the political leadership’s attention during the India-China military standoff at Doklam. Whenever such faceoff takes place, countries carry out precautionary advance deployment of submarine assets. Arihant (Code name S2) came into the limelight on July 26, 2009, when Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, broke a coconut to mark its launch in Visakhapatnam.

After that, the submarine was towed to an enclosed pier for extensive harbour trials from the dry docks at Ship Building Centre, away from public view. Arihant was quietly commissioned into service in August 2016 and its induction is still not officially acknowledged. It is powered by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor with enriched uranium.

INS Arihant left crippled after ‘accident’ 10 months ago

Senior naval sources maintain that Arihant has faced problems from the start. Initial delays could be just teething trouble, glitches at various stages of getting the reactor to go critical and during harbour trials; major differences between the Russian-supplied design and indigenous fabrication are said to have left many issues unaddressed satisfactorily.

Top gun for second strike
Arihant , the country's only operational Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) asset, can stay undetected deep underwater for long periods, range far and wide. It is the most dependable platform for a second strike, given the country's “no first use” on nuclear weapons. The other options, land-based and air-launched, are easier to detect.

The submarine is manned by 100 men with extensive training from the School for Advanced Underwater Warfare in Visakhapatnam and further hands-on training on INS Chakra.

The second ballistic missile submarine, Arighat, was launched on November 19 for sea trials. The launch was kept a low-profile event, attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior Navy officers.

A high-profile launch, to be attended by the Prime Minister, was put off.

Key to nuclear triad
Arihant and other nuclear launch platforms are operationally handled by the Strategic Forces Command, and report to the Nuclear Command Authority chaired by the Prime Minister.

However, the over 100 nuclear warheads are not mated with missiles or bombs and remain in civilian custody of the Atomic Energy Department and the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Ambitious plan to build SSBN fleet
India has an ambitious plan to build a SSBN fleet, comprising five Arihant class vessels.

The naval sources say the plan hinges on Arihant’s success. It has taken 30 years to build it, at a high cost. “It was initially estimated to cost about ₹3000 crore for three boats — now the cost of Arihant itself seems to have gone over ₹14,000 crore,” a former high-ranking naval officer said.

The Eastern Naval Command plans to operate its nuclear sub fleet from an independent Naval Operational Alternative Base (NOAB) being constructed on 5,000 acres at Rambilli, for direct access to the sea. The base is located about 50 km from Visakhapatnam, and jetties are under construction.

Keeping this news under wraps since Dokhlam standoff is interesting.

[V.Narayan]

INS Karanj, third Scorpene class submarine launched

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/62715404.cms

INS Karanj third of six Scorpene class submarines, being built at Mazagon Docks, for the Indian Navy was launched today. She is expected to complete fit out and join the fleet early next year. The first of class, INS Kalvari, commissioned in December 2017. The second, INS Khanderi, is expected to commission in a few months. After initial struggle with a steep learning curve Mazagon Docks is now on a roll with three more under construction. The first INS Karanj, a Foxtrot class 2400 tonne boat served the Navy from 1969 to 1993. She had served in the 1971 conflict.

Photo of the launch earlier today. The boat rests on a pontoon which is then submerged taking her to the water for the first time. INS Visakhapatnam, stealth destroyer, can be seen under construction in the background.

[V.Narayan]

The Hindu recently reported that INS Arihant was damaged and under going repairs under a cloak of secrecy after water entered the nuclear power plant because a sailor forgot to close a hatch in the aft of the submarine when the boat dived during an operational deployment. I do not know what to make of this and very hard to tell what is fact and what is deliberate dis-information. It is not as if Indian submarine arm learnt to sail boats yesterday or that this, of all things, has been the reason for an accident in over 50 years. Nor is it that when a boat dives the skipper says , ' oye zara check karo sub hatches band hain kya - zara dhayn rakho - hela ke check karo'! (oye go check that all hatches are closed; shake them well to be doubly sure). The safety systems and back up systems to ensure complete sealing of a submarine before a dive are more sophisticated than that.

Opinions & views?

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The Hindu recently reported that INS Arihant was damaged and under going repairs under a cloak of secrecy after water entered the nuclear power plant because a sailor forgot to close a hatch in the aft of the submarine when the boat dived during an operational deployment. I do not know what to make of this and very hard to tell what is fact and what is deliberate dis-information.

While accidents can happen this smells like a story to spread (dis)information to put someone, read our inimical neighbours off guard.

It is not as if Indian submarine arm learnt to sail boats yesterday or that this, of all things, has been the reason for an accident in over 50 years. Opinions & views?

Accidents and defects take their toll (HMS QE II is another case) and IF this is true (hope not) the story just points to the fact that some in our Defence Services are not as well trained and/or prepared as we'd expect them to be. Along with the the INS Sindhurakshak disaster it also points to a growing rot. Sadly when these disasters happens to the IN it becomes a family thing.

[mpksuhas]

Not a disinformation campaign if you go though this article. From today's Hindu, Bangalore edition.

[ads11]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=PdKkR_lbLN0

Incredibly detailed time lapse cutaway drawing of the current Russian Borei class SSBN. I imagine Mr V Narayan probably has a few of H I Sutton's books, or if not, might be worth treating yourself to one!

Though the Arihant isn't based on this, I vaguely remember there being some Russian input and I would figure the IN would stick to what they know from using Akula's, so perhaps the schematic in the video might bear some similarities with the Arihant (I wager decades before we see a similar video for it)

[V.Narayan]

Indian Navy launches programme to build 6 new nuclear powered attack submarines

In a rare, official comment on the Indian nuclear attack submarine project, a top Naval officer has said that work has started on a new class of vessels after a government go ahead two months ago and the target is to shorten the developmental time to under 15 years.

While India has traditionally shied from commenting on its nuclear fleet - for years the existence of the Arihant nuclear missile submarine was denied despite a large Indo-Russian team working on the project.

"The government has given approvals for six new SSNs (nuclear attack submarines) earlier this year. We have started work but still are at the pen to paper stage," Vice Admiral P Murugesan, the Vice Chief of Naval staff said in response to a question by ET.

The top officer expressed confidence in the abilities of the navy's submarine design bureau to come out with a new class of vessels in less than 15 years. "These things take time but we will be able to improve on the timelines that the pioneers (nations) have set which typically took over 15 years for such a project," the Vice Chief said.

As reported by ET, to boost its underwater capabilities, the Navy is planning to build at least six SSNs in India, with financial sanction given in February for the project that could cost upwards of Rs 90,000 crore. To be fitted with the indigenous vertically launched Brahmos missile, the vessels are to be built at the Vizag-based ship building centre with the involvement of L&T.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/48076623.cms

[Sutripta]

How are propellers tested for their acoustic characteristics? Who designs these, and where are these manufactured?
Same for pumps in the nuclear subs.

Regards
Sutripta