Shishumar-class submarine

The Shishumar class vessels are diesel-electric submarines, currently in active service with the Indian Navy.

These submarines are a lengthier and heavier Indian variant of the Type 209 submarines developed by the German yard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) under the internal designation Type 1500.

The first two vessels were built by HDW at Kiel, while the remainder were built at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai under a technology transfer agreement. The ships were commissioned between 1986 and 1994.

These submarines have a displacement of 1660 tons when surfaced, a speed of 22 kn, and a complement of 40 including eight officers.

History
India signed the agreement for these submarines with HDW in 1981. The initial agreement called for delivery of four submarines which were delivered to the Indian Navy between 1986 and 1994. A subsequent agreement for the construction of 2 more submarines to be constructed at MDL was cancelled after the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998.