Defence ministry clears purchase of 26 Rafale fighters, 3 Scorpene submarines: Report

Under Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been made in India.

The Defence Procurement Board has approved a proposal to buy 26 Rafale fighters and three Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy, according to reports by CNBC-TV18.

The submarines will be built at Mazagon Docks Ltd., where other submarines of the class have been built. They will be fitted with air independent propulsion (AIP), which has been designed by the DRDO but will be tested and validated by the French Naval Group, media reports said. The AIP gives longer endurance to a diesel attack submarine and allows it to remain submerged for over a week without the need to surface to charge its batteries.

In reaction, shares of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders surged 8 percent on July 11, hitting an all-time high of Rs 1565.80.

Under Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have been made in India. Mazagon Dock in December 2022 delivered the fifth Scorpene submarine VAGIR of Project P-75 to the Navy. The Vagir was launched in November 2020 and has undergone tests and trials for over a year before delivery.

Before Vagir, the company had delivered submarines Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, and Vela. The sixth Scorpene submarine, Vaghsheer, was launched in April 2022.

Reports said a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council will take place on July 13 to decide on the final approval of the deals. Both the deals could be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France on July 13-14. Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Europe and will also be the guest of honour at the Bastille Day Parade where a contingent of the Indian military will also participate.

Another project with France is likely to be a follow-on order of three Scorpene submarines. The defence ministry is in talks with French defence major Safran for joint development of a fighter jet engine in India to power the country's next generation aircraft including the futuristic Advance Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders on July 3 signed a contract worth Rs 2,725 with the Ministry of Defence for restoring INS Shankush, a submarine of the sub-surface killer (SSK) class. The delivery of the restored submarine is set for 2026. The Indian Navy also released a statement that INS Shankush will be combat ready, and join the active fleet with its upgraded combat abilities.