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India Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited
Kalvari class
Diesel-electric attack submarines built by Mazagon Dock under French Naval Group technology transfer, based on the Scorpene design, giving the Indian Navy a modern, low-signature conventional submarine with air-independent propulsion planned for later units.
In service since 2017 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
20
kn
6,500
nmi
1,565
t
43
crew
💲 ≈ $500,000,000, Approximate per-unit build cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to India export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2017. Status: active · ~6 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$1.3B – $1.8B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Kalvari class can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
SM39 Exocet anti-ship missile Black Shark heavyweight torpedo Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Torpedo tubes
Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).
- 6 Stronger than 53% of submarines
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 67.5 m
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $500,000,000 Stronger than 78% of submarines
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 6 Stronger than 55% of submarines
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 39% of submarines
Specifications compiled from public Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class Frequently asked questions
What is the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class used for? +
The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class is a submarine typically used for anti ship, isr.
How many countries operate the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class? +
The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class cost? +
The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class has an approximate unit cost of 500,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
