Russian United Shipbuilding Corporation Creates AIP for India’s P-75I Submarine Offering

Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation has developed an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system for Amur-1650 submarine offered to India under P 75I project.

"The system itself has already been created, all physical principles have been implemented,” Vladimir Korolev, Deputy CEO of USC told TASS news agency on Thursday.

AIP is any marine propulsion technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen. The company is proposing AIP based on diesel fuel reforming.

Deputy CEO of USC-owned Rubin Design Bureau Andrey Baranov said last week that the system would be made compatible with both existing and future submarine types. He has also disclosed some features of its latest Amur-1650 submarine.

"As for the further modernization of Varshavyanka (Kilo), I can say that the ship is only externally the same, but in terms of electronics, energy, armament it has become close to the fourth generation, that is – to our export version of the Lada project, the Amur-1650 project. However, the Amur is much more compact and is quieter,” he told RIA Novosti.

He added that the Amur-1650 project's displacement was reduced by 1.3 times, and the crew was reduced from 52 to 35 people due to automation processes.

"Low signature, therefore, an advantage in a duel situation is provided by a low-torque, low-noise permanent magnet propulsion electric motor, as well as by specially designed equipment with a low noise level. The bow antenna is almost as large as the area of the antennas of nuclear submarines, while the flexible extended towed antenna and modern processing methods make it possible to detect the quietest targets at considerable distances. The contours of its hull are also contributing to the covertness of the Amur,” Baranov stated.

Russia now intensively constructs serial diesel-electric submarines for the Navy, with the Amur-1650 being the export-oriented variant of the Project 677 Lada-class. The type ship, 'Sankt-Peterburg' (Saint Petersburg) is operational with the Northern Fleet. All Russia's existing conventional submarines, including the Lada/Amur-class, feature high land-attack capabilities: some underwater combatants of the Russian Navy have launched the Kalibr cruise missiles against the targets of the terrorists in Syria for several times since 2015.

The Indian Defense Ministry issued Request for Proposal (RFP) for construction of six advanced conventional submarines for the Navy under Project-75I in July 2021. Project-75I aims for the indigenous construction of submarines with contemporary equipment, weapons and sensors including Fuel-Cell based AIP system, advanced torpedoes, modern missiles and countermeasure systems.

Russian Rosoboronexport announced in Augus that it received requests for proposals from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T), which were "being considered.”