India may drop proposed project to build French-origin submarines, may go for German ones

The official contract talks for MDL to build the six German submarines began last month, according to reports-Representative photo

India may not go ahead with a proposed project to build another three French-origin Scorpene submarines at Mazagon Docks (MDL), according to a report by Times of India.

The TOI report stated that India plans to construct six new German-origin diesel-electric stealth submarines at the same facility for over Rs 70,000 crore.

The cost negotiations for the three more Scorpenes concluded in the last fiscal itself. However, according to the TOI report, the final approval from the PM-led cabinet committee on security (CCS) is “on hold”. Sources told TOI that the German submarines are considered “a generation ahead” of the French ones.

“Moreover, it would be difficult for MDL to handle two different complex submarine-building projects simultaneously,” a source said.

The three new Scorpenes were to add to the six such submarines already built at MDL under the over Rs 23,000 crore `Project-75’.

The first, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in December 2017 and the sixth, INS Vagsheer, in January this year. All the six Kalvari-class submarines will, however, be retrofitted with the air-independent propulsion (AIP) system being developed by DRDO for greater underwater endurance.

AIP gives a diesel-electric submarine the stealth capability to remain underwater for around two weeks. Meanwhile, a boat without it must surface or “snorkel” every couple of days to get oxygen to recharge its batteries.

Features of German submarines

The German submarines will be constructed at MDL in partnership with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). According to TOI, it will have AIP, land-attack cruise missiles and other new-generation technologies.

The TOI report stated that the official contract talks for MDL to build the six German submarines began last month. “These new-generation boats under P-75I will come with design ToT (transfer of technology) and a greater indigenisation level of around 60%. The project will serve as a bridge to the future P-76, under which conventional submarines will be constructed based on totally indigenous design,” a source told TPI.

What about deals with France?

Three more Scorpenes could be revived if there is top-level intervention.

Sources told TOI that the government-to-government deal for additional Rafales under the IAF’s around Rs 2 lakh crore project for 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) is now in the works, as was reported by TOI

Moreover, the collaboration to co-develop a new powerful jet engine with French major Saran at a cost of Rs 61,000 crore for India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter called AMCA (advanced medium combat aircraft) has also been virtually finalised.

Apart from the six Scorpenes, the Navy is left with just six old Russian Kilo-class and four German HDW submarines in its conventional underwater fleet. It also has two nuclear-powered submarines armed with ballistic missiles.China, incidentally, over 50 diesel-electric and 10 nuclear submarines, according to TOI.