`43K-cr for ‘Make in India’ subs

Defence ministry approves 6 conventional submarines for Navy

In a mega make-in-India deal, the Defence Acquisition Council headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday approved the domestic production of six new-generation stealth submarines in collaboration with foreign players under Project P75(I) estimated at `43,000 crore. The project was first initiated in 2007 and it will take nearly a decade before the first submarine is delivered.

The submarine deal was given the go-ahead amid reports that country’s sole nuclear-powered attack submarine INS Chakra is on its way back to Russia as the agreement

● THE DEFENCE Acquisition Council also approved proposals for acquiring various military weapons including air defence guns and ammunition for the Indian Army for

`6,800 crore

for its lease is coming to an end. The Navy will thus be without a nuclear-powered attack submarine for many years till another advanced version of the submarine, Chakra III, comes from Russia on a

10-year lease for which a

$3 billion deal was signed in 2019. The INS Chakra is reported to be giving trouble as it was getting old and its lease, which was ending in January, was not sought to be extended.

Nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) are the equivalent of the most dangerous underwater sharks which hunt submarines and ships and are equipped with torpedoes, anti-ship cruise missiles and land-attack cruise missiles.

The DAC on Friday approved the issue of a request for proposal (RFP) for the construction of six conventional submarines for Project P75(I) under the strategic partnership model. The RFP will be issued to defence shipyard Mazagon Docks and private sector giant Larsen and Toubro, who were selected as Indian strategic partners to bid for the submarine project by the DAC last year in January.

Mazagon Docks and L&T will now collaborate with any of the five foreign companies to submit their bids. These foreign companies are Russian Rosoboronexport, French Naval Group, South Korean Daewo, German Thysenkrupp Marine Systems and Spanish Navantia.

Last year the DAC had approved these five foreign companies as the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers that could collaborate on the project.

China is now investing heavily in its Navy and has the fastest growing naval assets in the world.