Amur 1650 | Graphic: Rubin
Russia has offered the Amur-class submarine for the Indian Navy’s P75(I) program for the indigenous construction of six conventional submarines and is pitching an indigenization level of 80 percent, according to Andrei I. Baranov, Deputy Director General for Foreign Activities at Rubin Design Bureau.
Amur 1650 specifications [Click to View] | Source: Rubin
Speaking to StratPost at DefExpo 2018 at Chennai earlier this month, Baranov said, “We see the requirement to provide the very last level of indigenization of equipment for submarines — it’s a requirement of your navy. Depending on the equipment it may be forty percent, maybe 60 percent — it’s a requirement — how to do it? But we know how to do it. We’re planning to report to the navy that our proposal can provide around eighty percent of indigenization. 8-0. Much better than French and German proposals.”
Strategic Partnership
The parent of the Rubin Design Bureau; the United Shipbuilding Corporation has been around in India for a long time. They have supplied Foxtrot-class, Vela-class (modified Foxtrot) and Kilo-class submarines to the Indian Navy, beginning in 1967. Rubin Design Bureau and USC have partnered with India’s private sector Larsen & Toubro for their pitch for the contest.
“We have a partnership agreement with Larsen and Toubro Defence. They’re a really strong company — especially for the shipbuilding. And in our view there is no alternative among private industry in India – especially for submarines,” said Baranov, explaining, “P75(I) program is based on the strategic partnership model — it means that all the submarines will be constructed in India at an Indian shipyard from the private sector. And we discussed the possible partnership with different candidates from your shipbuilding industry and we found out that L&T was the most well-prepared for this.”
Partnering with Larsen & Toubro
Elaborating on the decision to partner with the Indian company, Baranov said, “They have a good facility at Hazira. And our first visit to Hazira was in 2000 — 18 years back. And that time we concluded that L&T Hazira is more or less prepared to construct Amur-class submarine. Maybe some modifications needed — of infrastructure, but it was not a problem. Two years back we visited, for the first time, the L&T facility here at Kattupalli, near Chennai. Excellent shipyard. And we saw the good examples of knowledge management from L&T — it’s very, very important. They’re accommodating the officers from the Indian Navy, from the DND submarine design group and now they have a very strong team of professionals who are able to accept our knowledge of our design. And it’s a strong company with a good turnover — they’re motivated for this project, to participate in it, so in from point of view, it’s the best partner for us. And we had several meetings with them together with Rosoboronexport last year and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on our partnership and now it’s in the form that L&T is our integrator — system integrator among Indian industry.”
“And we submitted to L&T a set of technical requirements for the equipment and asked them to find the proper Indian enterprises which can fulfill these requirements — and now they have arranged our meetings one by one,” he added, saying, “It’s very, very effective from the management point of view.”
Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Requirement
Configuration of the Amur 1650 with AIP | Graphic: Rubin
The navy has a requirement for Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) for the P75(I) line of submarines. Baranov said that the Rubin Design Bureau has been working on a development of an AIP and explained how they have gone about it, including some ingenuity in configuring a source of hydrogen onboard their submarines.
According to Rubin, “The provision is made for the boat to be fitted with an air-independent propulsion plant with electrochemical generators to considerably increase submerged endurance and cruising range. The plant with stock of reagents is located in a special compartment module, which can be incorporated into the submarine during construction or repair/refit.”
“There was some doubt because unfortunately we have no AIP plant onboard Russian submarines — in the Russian navy. It’s in the research and development stage. But we’re waiting and we’re 100 percent sure of the result and we’re awaiting the completion of the trials — full-scale trials. We need approximately two years to complete our program,” Baranov said.
Genesis of Russian AIP
The development of the AIP for submarines is based on fuel cell technology developed for the Soviet space program, and uses diesel as a source of hydrogen.
“It’s based on fuel cell technology. In Russia we have very good technology for fuel cells developed during the Soviet times for the space program. Modifying that, we have one of the best fuel cells in the world now. And the second we’re using as a source of hydrogen — you understand that the fuel cell needs oxygen and hydrogen — diesel. Standard diesel fuel onboard the conventional submarine. We don’t need any separate substance to source hydrogen — like for example, the Indian AIP. Because DRDO is using some chemical mix to make hydrogen onboard — but they need a separate tank — they need a separate loading system also — separate safety procedures. We don’t need such extras,” explained Baranov, pointing out, “Every conventional submarine has diesel onboard. It’s quite sufficient for our AIP.”
Current Status of AIP Development
“We demonstrated our steps of research and development to your navy to your DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) team, to your industry and we proved that it’s a real result and we have a full scale, full power, land prototype — all the parts of the AIP compartment. Now we have to take the final step and make an AIP compartment and conduct sea trials for this. And after that we can report — to our navy first, because this activity is under the requirement of our navy. We’re ready to install this compartment to the existing submarine, to the future submarine and then the final decision will be for our navy,” explained Baranov.
Indo-Russian Cooperation on AIP
Baranov also sees potential for cooperation on development of AIP between the two countries.
“We are in the process of establishing relations to develop a ‘joint AIP’ which will accommodate the best solutions from both sides. And we have had several meetings with DRDO and we visited the NMRL (Naval Materials Research Laboratory) at Mumbai last October, so we see good prospects for this,” he said, adding, “This way meets your motto Make in India best of all — with a Made in India fuel cell AIP compartment.”
“The first demonstration of our AIP to DRDO was approximately three years back. And the last demonstration was last year for Dr. Christopher and the representatives from the NMRL laboratory,” said Baranov.
Next steps on AIP
The Sankt Peterburg – the first Lada-class submarine and prototype of the Amur-class export variant | Photo: Rubin
Baranov explained that the development of an AIP was initiated by the Russian Navy which had a requirement for the system.
“Because nuclear submarines are very expensive to operate and build, noisier and of course — there are some areas where we can’t enter with nuclear submarines — for example Black Sea, Caspian Sea — that’s why we need conventional submarines, as well,” he said.
The second Lada-class submarine, Kronshtadt, under construction at Admiralty Shipyard, St. Petersberg | Photo: Rubin
“So right now we’re working for our navy. It’s an order from our navy. We have orders to develop AIP. They are waiting for the final results of our trials,” said Baranov, explaining that they plant to configure the AIP on a new Lada-class submarine, of which the Amur-class is the export variant. “We’re looking at the Lada-class submarine, the prototype of the Amur-class submarine, as the first Russian submarine with AIP. New Lada-class submarine,” he said.
[stextbox id=”stratpost” caption=”According to Rubin…”]“The Russian Armament State Program for 2018–2025 includes construction of four Lada-class conventional submarines. The Lada-class submarine is the prototype for the Amur-class vessels equipped with AIP that are offered by Russia for the Project 75-I competition.”
Two Lada submarines are currently under construction at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg. The launch of the second submarine named ‘Kronstadt’ and commencement of its trials are scheduled for mid-2018. In 2017 the last hull butt on ‘Kronstadt’ was welded and the casing was installed. An anechoing coating is put on the hull and cabling and piping systems are installed. As for the third boat, in 2017 the forward and aft pressure hull sections were completed and the hydraulic tests of both sections were carried out. At present various equipment is being produced and installed in the hull.
The Russian Ministry of Defence will order two more Lada-class vessels.
In 2017 the leading ship Lada-class named ‘Saint-Petersburg’ successfully completed missile firing as well as tactical training against another submarine while testing Lira sonar.
The developer of the sonar concern Elektropribor points that the functional capabilities of sonar Lira considerably surpass previous sonars of the MGK-400 family (Rubikon) used on Kilo-class conventional submarines. Therefore its comprehensive testing in various hydrological conditions is underway. The purpose is to generate data, which will subsequently allow the application of this sonar with the specified efficiency under totally different conditions.
Russian industry says that the Lira sonar in combination with the small dimensions of the submarine and the unusually silent propulsion motor with permanent magnets (used on a Russian submarine for the first time) make the Lada-class submarine an invisible, underwater hunter.
As reported, ‘Saint-Peterburg’ has demonstrated its qualities as a hunter at the test ranges of the Russian Northern Fleet. In duel situations, it was the first to detect the “enemy” surface ships and submarines of other classes.
Torpedo tubes of 533-mm calibre fitted on Lada-class submarines are adapted for firing Kalibr cruise missiles. The submarine is capable of firing six-tube salvos and quick loading gear allows the firing of the entire set of ammunition of 18 units within minutes. Among the variants of missile design is the missile type 3М14Т – the missile that was fired from diesel-electric submarines Project 636.3 (Kilo-class) for destroying land targets belonging to terrorists of the so-called ‘Islamic Khalifat’.”
Text Source: Rubin Design Bureau
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