During his trip to France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that three more scorpene submarines would be made. The contract to make these submarines will be signed by the end of 2024.
On July 13, the Defense Acquisition Council gave the “acceptance of necessity” for buying three more diesel-electric Scorpene-class submarines.
The deal for these submarines should be finished by the end of next year. The first submarine should be delivered in 2031.
Under the old deal, which was signed in 2005 and was worth $3.5 billion, India bought six Scorpene-class submarines from the French company Naval Group. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited made these submarines with the help of a technology transfer.
The first submarine in the line, the INS Kalvari, was put into service in December 2017. The INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela, and INS Vagir will follow in September 2019, March 2021, November 2021, and January 2023, respectively.
The sixth submarine, Vagsheer, is currently going through testing, and the Indian Navy is hoping to get it in early 2024.
The Defense Ministry said that the three new submarines will have more parts made in India and will have the DRDO-made air independent propulsion (AIP) system, which will make them last longer.
A defense source said that if the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) delivers a tested and working AIP module by the time the submarines are built, it will be added.
Also, Naval Group is working with DRDO to add the indigenous AIP module to the Scorpene submarines that are already in service when they go in for their normal maintenance.
When INS Kalvari goes in for its first repair at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025, this process will start.
Naval Group is helping DRDO find a local source for the liquid oxygen tank and get ready for the integration into the submarines. This means cutting the submarine in half, putting in the AIP safely, and putting the two parts back together.
At the moment, the Indian Navy has 16 conventional submarines. There are seven Russian Kilo-class submarines, four German HDW submarines, and five Scorpene-class submarines.
But the number will go down in the next ten years as the older subs are taken out of service. As a stopgap, the medium-refit life certification process is being used to add years to the lives of four Kilo-class submarines and three German HDWs.
When the new subs arrive, which is expected to be in 2031, the Indian Navy will have even more power at sea.
