Stealth, silent strikes, cruise missiles..., India building submarine for the future, here's how Project-76 Submarines could outmatch China
India has started working on the design of a new advanced submarine. According to reports, the design is expected to be ready within the next one year. This submarine is part of Project-76, and its main goal is to make India self-reliant in underwater defense technology. It will be a next-generation diesel-electric submarine, built with the latest features to strengthen India's navy.
The submarine will include stealth technology, which helps it stay hidden from enemy radars, and an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system that lets it stay underwater longer without needing to surface. It will also have powerful long-range cruise missiles for deep-strike capability.
The defense company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has taken on the responsibility to complete this important project.
Once ready, these submarines will give India a strong edge in underwater warfare and help protect its maritime interests without depending on foreign technology.
Project-76 is being seen as a reset of the earlier Project-75I, where India had to rely heavily on foreign technology. In contrast, Project-76 will be designed and developed entirely in India, making it a big step toward defense self-reliance.
Under this project, 12 submarines will be built in total, and the work will be carried out in two separate batches. The second batch of submarines will be even more advanced than the first, using improved technology to better prepare for future challenges and threats in modern naval warfare. India focuses on Submarines to counter growing threats like China
There has been a long-running debate in India's defense circles about whether the country should invest more in aircraft carriers or submarines. Some military experts support aircraft carriers, but many are now leaning toward submarines for practical reasons.
The main concern with aircraft carriers is that they are huge and easy targets for today's advanced ballistic missiles. Many countries, including rivals, now have these powerful missiles that can strike from long distances. Protecting such a large ship in battle would require extra air defense systems, which are expensive and complex.
On the other hand, submarines are much harder to detect. They stay deep underwater, sometimes hundreds of feet below the surface, where spotting them is extremely difficult. If the submarine uses Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology, it becomes even more silent and hidden. Tracking such submarines is like finding a needle in a haystack.
This is why many senior officers in the Indian Navy support building more submarines instead of aircraft carriers.
According to reports, the submarines that India plans to build under Project-76 will use AIP technology developed by DRDO, India's defense research agency. This will allow the submarines to stay underwater for longer periods without making noise.
These submarines will also be equipped with advanced sonar systems (to detect enemy ships) and long-range cruise missiles. India already has powerful cruise missile technology—BrahMos is one of the best examples. It is extremely fast and accurate, and most air defense systems in the world would struggle to stop it. How strong is India's Project-76 compared to China's submarines?
If we compare India's upcoming Project-76 submarines with China's Type-039A Yuan-class, which is one of their most advanced diesel submarines, India's design appears stronger in many ways.
Both countries are building diesel-electric submarines with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology, which helps submarines stay underwater longer without needing to surface.
But there's a big difference:
India's submarine will have complete stealth capability, making it very hard to detect. China's Yuan-class submarine only has limited stealth features, so it's easier to track.
In terms of weapons, India's submarine can launch land-attack cruise missiles as well as torpedoes, giving it a strong edge. Chinese submarines, on the other hand, can only fire anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, they can't target land with cruise missiles.
India's Project-76 submarines will also have better endurance. They will be able to stay underwater for nearly 3 weeks at a time, while the Chinese Yuan-class submarines can stay submerged for only about 2 weeks.
In short, Project-76 submarines are being built with more advanced technology, better stealth, and stronger strike capability than China's current top diesel submarines.
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