SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a major development aimed at bolstering India’s underwater strike capabilities, Russia has reportedly offered the Indian Navy six refurbished Kilo-class submarines, according to a report by veteran defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan for ChakraNews. These submarines, which are pre-owned, will undergo complete refurbishment before delivery and will come equipped with the latest long-range Novator Kalibr cruise missiles.
The offer represents a significant enhancement over India’s existing fleet of Kilo-class submarines, officially known as the Sindhughosh-class in Indian service. The Indian Navy currently operates seven such submarines from the original fleet of ten acquired between the late 1980s and early 2000s. These existing vessels are currently armed with 300km-range Klub-S (Club-S) cruise missiles, which are submarine-launched variants developed for export.
The standout feature of the newly offered submarines is the inclusion of the Novator Kalibr cruise missile system, boasting a range of over 1500 kilometers. Notably, these Kalibr missiles can reportedly be launched from all six torpedo tubes on the upgraded submarines, in contrast to the limited capability in the current Indian Kilo fleet where only two tubes support cruise missile launch.
The Novator Kalibr family of cruise missiles represents one of the most capable long-range strike options in the Russian arsenal, and its integration into conventional submarines would significantly extend the Indian Navy’s maritime and land-attack reach. A torpedo-tube-launched missile with such extended range allows the submarine to strike high-value targets from deep within friendly waters, thereby reducing exposure to enemy anti-submarine assets.
If the offer materializes into a formal agreement, it could help bridge India’s growing submarine capability gap as delays persist in the induction of next-generation conventional submarines under Project-75(I). It would also mark a strategic step forward by equipping older yet capable platforms with modern long-range strike capabilities, thereby increasing operational lethality without incurring the time and cost of entirely new builds.
However, the proposal would need to be evaluated on multiple fronts—technical viability, life-extension feasibility, costs, and geopolitical implications—especially in light of India’s broader defence diversification and push for indigenous submarine production.
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