Indian Navy submarine to undergo mid-life upgrade

The Indian Navy has confirmed that one of its diesel-electric submarines will begin undergoing a mid-life upgrade (MLU) at Hindustan Shipyard (HSL) in Visakhapatnam before the end of this year.

The MLU will form part of the navy's efforts to sustain its fleet of submarines to satisfy operational requirements.

The MLU will encompass hull repairs, improvements to sensors and weapon systems, and other enhancements to extend the submarine's service life and ensure its combat-readiness.

Sindhuvijay was commissioned in 1991. She is one of ten Sindhughosh-class attack submarines, which are variants of the Kilo-class boats developed and operated by Russia.

Officials expect the contract between the Indian Ministry of Defence and HSL will be finalised within the next three weeks.

Sindhuvijay last underwent major maintenance in 2005 at Zvedochka Shipyard in Russia.

Three of Sindhuvijay's Sindhughosh-class sisters have already been decommissioned. Two boats have been scrapped while the third, ex-INS Sinduhir, was handed over to the Myanmar Navy in late 2020, making it Myanmar's first submarine.