India’s Nuclear Attack submarine to get pumpjet propulsion system and 150MW PWR

Source : IDRW

Image Credit : H I Sutton, 2020

According to a report in the latest edition of the India Today Magazine. Indian Navy has started work on the construction of the Six Nuclear Attack Class of submarines that will feature a revolutionary new age pumpjet propulsion system and a new nuclear-powered 150MW pressurized water reactor (PWR) system, along with a 1500km ranged BrahMos-2 Submarine Launched Cruise Missile system (SLCM).

Six SSN that will be ready for induction into the Indian Navy from 2032 onwards and will have a 6000 ton of submerged displacements with eight 533mm torpedo tubes, along with a vertical launching system (VLS) for 1500km BrahMos-2 and 2500km ITCM SLCM. SSN will have a top submerged speed of 35 knots and a crew of 100 Submariners, but some of the features can change since design work is still ongoing.

Indian Navy in past has confirmed that it is interested in adapting pumpjet propulsion system for future submarine fleet and it’s often argued that the pump jets are the preferred propulsion system for nuclear attack submarines than on electric-diesel submarine since nuclear attack submarines can travel at higher speeds and have almost unlimited power from a nuclear reactor.

Naval Group of France is seen as a market leader in the pumpjet propulsion system due to its previous work on French Barracuda class nuclear attack submarine and Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarines that incorporate their trademark pump-jet propulsion system. France has offered it non-nuclear technology for India’s SSN program and it could not come as a surprise if the Indian Navy might be looking at acquiring the French pump-jet propulsion system or its license-built derivative for its SSN Program in the long run even for its S5 Class ballistic missile submarine program.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed an 83MW pressurized water reactor (PWR) for the Arihant class of ballistic missile submarines and the same PWR has been used as a nuclear powerplant for the S4 and S4* (Star) Class of ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) that have 7000 tons of submerged displacement, but for the new SSN Class and S5 Class SSBN, Navy had asked for development of a new 190MW pressurized water reactor (PWR) for both the programs, so it is not clear if 150MW PWR will be tone down derivate of the new 190MW PWR that is in works for the 13500-ton S5 class SSBN or its was an error on their part in the report.

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