Over two weeks in late June and early July 2025, India’s navy quietly carried out one of its most ambitious undersea warfare trials yet. From the deck of the stealth warship INS Kavaratti, it fired a new long-range anti-submarine rocket called ERASR, signalling a sharp step up in how New Delhi plans to hunt hostile submarines far from its shores.
India’s latest anti-submarine test that few saw coming
The trials took place between 23 June and 7 July 2025 in the Indian Ocean, away from public view but closely watched by defence planners across Asia.
The INS Kavaratti, a 110‑metre corvette optimised for anti-submarine warfare, served as the launch platform. Built under India’s “Project 28” programme, the ship carries hull-mounted sonar, torpedo tubes, decoy systems and an Indigenous Rocket Launcher (IRL).
This suite of sensors and weapons makes Kavaratti a specialised submarine hunter in both coastal and open waters. Its low radar signature means it can stalk quietly, while its tight turning circle lets it manoeuvre quickly over suspected submarine contacts.
During the ERASR campaign, the navy fired 17 rockets in several phases at different ranges and depths. Each shot was designed to validate a specific aspect of the system: maximum reach, accuracy, electronic time fuze performance and warhead effectiveness.
The Indian Navy says every planned test goal was met, giving it confidence that ERASR is ready to join the fleet as an operational weapon.
What makes the ERASR different
Range that pushes submarines back
ERASR stands for Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket. It is not just a tweak of an older weapon; it changes how far surface ships can influence a fight under the surface.
Traditional rocket-launched depth charges used by many navies reach only a few kilometres. That forces ships to close in on a suspected submarine, increasing the risk of being targeted themselves.
India’s ERASR uses a two-stage rocket motor configuration that roughly doubles or even triples that range.
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| Parameter | Indicative figure |
|---|---|
| Weapon name | ERASR (Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket) |
| Estimated range | About 8–12 km |
| Fuzing | Programmable electronic time fuze |
| Propulsion | Dual rocket motors |
| Launcher | Compatible with existing IRL systems |
| Producers | Bharat Dynamics Ltd (Hyderabad) and Solar Defence & Aerospace (Nagpur) |
That extra reach means a ship can strike a submarine contact without sailing directly overhead. It buys more reaction time and creates a wider “bubble” of water where a hostile boat risks being hit.
A warhead timed for the right depth
Range is not the only trick. ERASR relies on a programmable electronic fuze rather than a simple depth setting or contact trigger.
Operators can set the rocket to detonate at a specific moment after launch, based on the estimated depth of the submarine. That estimate comes from sonar data, intelligence and modelling tools on board the ship.
By timing the blast to the likely depth of the target, the weapon creates a dense pressure wave where the submarine is expected to be, dramatically raising the odds of a damaging hit.
This approach matters because today’s submarines are quiet, agile and can shift depth quickly. A mistimed explosion, even a few dozen metres off, can let a modern submarine slip away.
ERASR is also designed to fit into India’s existing Indigenous Rocket Launcher mounts without major changes. That compatibility lets the navy roll out the new weapon across multiple corvettes and frigates in a relatively short time.
Industrial firepower behind the missile
Local production and strategic autonomy
The missile is the product of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), working with two domestic manufacturers: Bharat Dynamics Limited in Hyderabad and Solar Defence & Aerospace Limited in Nagpur.
Bharat Dynamics has long built missiles and guided weapons for the Indian armed forces. Solar Defence represents a newer wave of private-sector participation in high‑end defence projects.
- DRDO – research, design and testing of ERASR
- Bharat Dynamics – series production and integration
- Solar Defence – components, sub-systems and assembly support
India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh publicly congratulated the navy, DRDO scientists and industrial partners after the successful tests. DRDO chief Dr Samir V. Kamat underlined that ERASR shows India can now complete the full cycle of design, development and operational validation of complex naval weapons without relying on foreign technology.
That message plays directly into New Delhi’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) drive, which aims to reduce imports in sensitive sectors such as missiles, submarines and fighter aircraft.
A quiet but potent undersea shield
Layered defence in a crowded ocean
ERASR does not operate in isolation. It is one piece of a multi-layered anti-submarine strategy that India is trying to build across the Indian Ocean.
The navy is investing in:
- Ship-mounted sonars and towed arrays to detect submarines at long range
- Lightweight torpedoes launched from ships and helicopters for close‑in attacks
- Unmanned underwater vehicles to patrol chokepoints and harbours
- Airborne assets such as P‑8I maritime patrol aircraft for wide‑area search
- Ship-based rockets and missiles like ERASR for rapid surface engagement
Within this mix, ERASR provides a fast, relatively low-cost way to saturate a suspected submarine position with explosive force, especially in areas where aircraft are not immediately available.
Strategically, the rocket is particularly useful in the Bay of Bengal, approaches to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and around the entrance to the Malacca Strait. These zones are busy maritime corridors where Chinese and Pakistani submarines are believed to operate.
A surface ship equipped with ERASR can threaten a submarine long before it reaches key shipping lanes or naval bases, creating a form of standoff deterrence beneath the surface.
India’s broader naval build-up
The ERASR tests come amid a wide modernisation of India’s navy. New Nilgiri‑class frigates are entering service with advanced radars and vertical launch systems. Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines such as the Arighat are being prepared to strengthen the country’s sea-based nuclear deterrent.
The navy is also reviving programmes for unmanned surface and underwater drones, which could eventually work alongside weapons like ERASR by marking submarine contacts for attack.
Defence spending on the navy has risen noticeably since 2020, crossing the equivalent of €7 billion in 2025. That money is aimed at making India the dominant naval power in the Indian Ocean, able to respond both to Chinese naval forays and to Pakistan’s smaller but persistent submarine fleet.
How an anti-submarine rocket is used in combat
A typical engagement scenario
In a real conflict, an ERASR strike would likely unfold in a compressed timeline:
This kind of attack is less about precision in the missile guidance sense and more about saturating a volume of ocean where a submarine is likely hiding. It complements more targeted weapons like guided torpedoes.
Key terms and risks worth watching
For non-specialists, a few terms around ERASR are useful to unpack:
- Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) – all tactics and technologies used to find and neutralise submarines.
- Electronic time fuze – a small device that triggers the warhead after a set time; in ERASR’s case, it is programmed before launch based on target data.
- Layered defence – using multiple types of sensors and weapons at different ranges so that a submarine faces several hurdles, not just one.
Weapons like ERASR also carry risks. Misidentification of contacts can lead to attacks on friendly or neutral submarines. The presence of long-range ASW rockets may prompt rival navies to deploy quieter, more heavily armed submarines or their own equivalent systems, feeding an underwater arms race.
At the same time, the knowledge that surface ships can hit from 8–12 kilometres away, and time explosions to depth, may discourage adversaries from operating too close to India’s coastlines and island chains. In contested waters, that psychological effect can be almost as valuable as the weapon’s physical impact.