NEW DELHI : The Indian Navy has formally issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the procurement of Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) for deployment from its conventional submarine fleet, initiating the acquisition process for a long-range land-strike capability under India’s established defence framework.
Under the RFI specifications, the proposed missile must provide a strike range exceeding 500 kilometers, maintain a total weight below 1,500 kilograms, and ensure compatibility with standard submarine torpedo tubes, enabling integration with the Navy’s existing diesel-electric submarines.
Structured Procurement Under DAP 2020
The RFI has been issued in accordance with the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which governs capital procurement under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The RFI stage does not constitute vendor selection but serves as an exploratory assessment phase.
Its objectives include:
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Benchmarking global missile capabilities against domestic systems
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Validating technical specifications
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Assessing integration feasibility with existing submarines
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Strengthening acquisition documentation prior to higher-level approvals
This process ensures compliance before moving toward fleet induction.
Indigenous Capability and DRDO’s SLCM
India’s domestic defence sector currently has no publicly disclosed private-sector torpedo-tube-launched LACM, and there is no licensed foreign production line operating in this category.
This places the Submarine Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as the primary indigenous candidate.
DRDO successfully trialled the SLCM in 2023. The demonstrated configuration aligns with the Navy’s RFI parameters and features:
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Approximate range: 500 km
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Diameter: 505 mm (torpedo-tube compatible)
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Propulsion: Two-stage system (solid booster + turbofan sustainer)
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Guidance: Inertial Navigation System (INS) with GPS and terminal seeker
Unless a foreign OEM proposes a compliant solution under “Make in India”, the DRDO SLCM remains the only publicly recognized domestic system meeting the stated requirements.
Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) Stage
The next major milestone is the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), where the Ministry of Defence will determine the formal acquisition category under DAP 2020 and define indigenous content thresholds.
Possible categorization pathways include:
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Buy (Indian–IDDM) — Prioritizes indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured systems
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Buy (Global) — Opens direct competition to foreign vendors
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Buy & Make (Indian) — Allows foreign collaboration with domestic production
The AoN decision will determine whether the program advances primarily through sovereign development or global competition.
Operational Role
A submarine-launched land attack cruise missile enhances the operational flexibility of diesel-electric submarines by enabling precision engagement of land-based targets from extended stand-off ranges while remaining submerged.
Torpedo-tube-launched LACMs preserve the submarine’s stealth profile, as the platform does not need to surface for launch. The capability provides a long-range conventional strike option from underwater platforms.
The program remains at the RFI stage, with further clarity expected following the AoN decision under DAP 2020.
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