The Navy operates seven of these submarines, which are capable of vertically launching Russian-made Klub missiles

The Indian Navy’s Russian-origin Sindhughosh-class submarines will be equipped with a new set of long-range anti-ship missiles.

The Navy operates seven of these submarines, which are capable of vertically launching Russian-made Klub missiles. These missiles have a strike range of 300 km, enabling long-range operations. Each submarine can carry up to eight such missiles.

The Sindhughosh class is the Indian variant of Russia’s ‘Kilo-class’ submarines. It is the Navy’s largest submarine fleet, which also includes six Kalvari-class and four Shishumar-class submarines. All 17 of these vessels are conventional, powered by diesel-electric engines.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence announced that it had signed a contract with Russia for the procurement of anti-ship cruise missiles for the Navy’s submarine fleet.Sources indicate that the missiles are likely to be ‘Klub-S’, the export version of Russia’s Kalibr missile. However, details regarding the number of missiles and the delivery timeline have not been disclosed. The acquisition is part of longstanding Indo-Russian defence cooperation, which has facilitated the supply of various military technologies over several decades.

The Sindhughosh-class submarines are equipped with advanced combat systems. Over the years, the fleet has undergone multiple modernisation programmes, including upgrades to sonar and communication systems, as well as life-extension initiatives.