Fincantieri, Italy’s leading shipbuilding and defense group, has announced a major export success after its subsidiary WASS Submarine Systems won a contract valued at more than €200 million to supply Black Shark Advanced heavyweight torpedoes to the Indian Navy. The agreement strengthens long-standing defense ties between Italy and India while reinforcing New Delhi’s strategic push to enhance its underwater combat capabilities in an increasingly contested maritime environment.
According to Fincantieri, the deal is the single largest export order ever secured by WASS in its 150-year history, reflecting the growing emphasis placed by navies worldwide on advanced submarine and anti-submarine warfare technologies. Company representatives noted that demand for sophisticated undersea weapons is rising sharply across the Indo-Pacific, where maritime competition and security concerns continue to intensify.
The Black Shark Advanced torpedoes will be deployed aboard India’s six Scorpène-class diesel-electric submarines, locally designated as the Kalvari class. Production will be carried out at WASS’s Livorno facility in Italy, a site widely regarded as the country’s core center for undersea weapons engineering and manufacturing. Deliveries are planned for the 2028–2030 timeframe, aligning with the Indian Navy’s modernization schedule.
In addition to supplying the torpedoes, the contract covers a full suite of supporting systems and services. These include integrated launch and fire-control network components, maintenance and test equipment, spare parts, and logistical support packages. The comprehensive scope of the agreement is intended to provide the Indian Navy with a fully integrated and operationally ready capability, minimizing integration risks and ensuring long-term sustainment.
The contract also carries symbolic importance, as it marks the reintroduction of the Black Shark torpedo into India after nearly a decade. A previous procurement involving an earlier version of the weapon was canceled in 2016 following corruption allegations tied to an unrelated defense case. With the program now relaunched under Fincantieri’s direct control, the new deal represents a clean break from past controversies and reflects renewed trust between the two sides.
From a technical perspective, the Black Shark Advanced is a next-generation heavyweight torpedo designed for both deep-water and littoral operations. It features a high-efficiency electric propulsion system that delivers extended range while maintaining extremely low acoustic signatures, a critical requirement for modern submarine warfare. Fiber-optic wire guidance enables continuous, high-data-rate communication between the torpedo and the launching platform, allowing operators to update targeting data and tactics in real time.
Measuring roughly 6.3 meters in length with a 533 mm diameter, the BSA is compatible with standard NATO submarine launch tubes and weighs approximately 1.5 tonnes. It is equipped with a versatile warhead suitable for engaging both surface ships and submarines. Its guidance suite combines active and passive acoustic homing with wake-homing functions, ensuring resilience against countermeasures and effectiveness in electronically contested environments. With its digital architecture, modular design, and lower lifecycle costs, the Black Shark Advanced is positioned as a highly capable and future-ready solution for the Indian Navy’s undersea warfare needs.
