Italy’s shipbuilding and defense major Fincantieri has announced that its underwater weapons subsidiary, WASS Submarine Systems, has secured a major contract worth over €200 million to supply Black Shark Advanced (BSA) heavyweight torpedoes to the Indian Navy. The agreement represents a significant milestone in defense cooperation between Italy and India and supports New Delhi’s ongoing efforts to strengthen and modernize its undersea warfare capabilities amid growing maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Fincantieri confirmed that the order is the largest export contract in the 150-year history of WASS Submarine Systems, highlighting the rising global demand for advanced submarine and anti-submarine warfare solutions. Company officials described the deal as a landmark achievement that reinforces WASS’s position as a leading supplier of next-generation underwater weapons and underscores India’s role as a key strategic partner for European defense manufacturers.
Under the contract, the Black Shark Advanced torpedoes will equip the Indian Navy’s fleet of six Scorpène-class diesel-electric attack submarines, known domestically as the Kalvari class. Deliveries are scheduled to take place between 2028 and 2030, with manufacturing centered at WASS’s production facility in Livorno, Italy. The Livorno site has long served as a strategic hub for Italy’s undersea weapons development and will play a central role in fulfilling the Indian Navy’s requirements.
Beyond the torpedoes themselves, the agreement includes a comprehensive package covering integrated launch and network systems, maintenance equipment, spare parts, and logistical support. This turnkey approach is designed to ensure seamless integration of the BSA torpedoes into the Indian Navy’s existing submarine force, while also supporting long-term operational readiness and sustainment.
The deal is particularly notable as it marks the return of the Black Shark torpedo to India following earlier political and legal complications. A previous contract for an earlier variant of the Black Shark was terminated in 2016 amid corruption allegations linked to a separate defense program. The new agreement, now fully under Fincantieri’s ownership and control, effectively resets the relationship and aligns with the Indian Ministry of Defence’s emphasis on rapidly enhancing naval capabilities in response to evolving undersea threats in the Indian Ocean.
Technologically, the Black Shark Advanced represents a new-generation heavyweight torpedo rather than a simple upgrade of its predecessor. It features an advanced electric propulsion system optimized for ultra-quiet operation and extended range, making it well suited for covert and long-duration missions. The torpedo employs fiber-optic wire guidance, allowing real-time communication with the launching submarine, as well as advanced counter-countermeasure systems to operate effectively in contested environments.
The BSA is approximately 6.3 meters long, with a standard 533 mm diameter compatible with NATO launch tubes, and weighs around 1.5 tonnes. It carries a multi-role warhead capable of engaging both submarines and surface vessels, supported by a dual-mode guidance system that combines active and passive acoustic homing with wake-homing capabilities. WASS officials have emphasized the torpedo’s fully digital architecture, modular design, and reduced lifecycle costs, making it a highly capable and cost-effective solution for modern naval forces.
