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India Defence Online, New Delhi – While the Indian government has announced that it will be acquiring six new submarines in the Project 75 India (P-75 i) project, the French major DCNS has made an offer to India of a bigger version of its Scorpene conventional diesel-electric (SSK) submarine for a $5 billion. The contract will be for six submarines.
According to DCNS, there will be an extension in the design of the existing Scorpene submarine and new sections in the submarine will include the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP). While DCNS has already responded to the Indian Navy’s Request for Information (RFI) last September, it is now awaiting the Indian Navy to issue its Request for Proposals (RFPs).
DCNS has already got a contract for building six Scorpene submarines at the state-owned Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) under a $4 billion contract signed with France in 2005. This also involves transfer of technology and the first submarine from the P-75 project is expected to be with the Indian Navy by 2015 and the last by 2018.
As for the RFP for P-75 i which is likely to be offered next year, it will outline various critical parameters include the weight and design of the submarine. The Project 75I submarines are expected to be bigger than the 1800-ton Scorpene class. They will be equipped with AIP systems which will enable greater underwater endurance and land-attack missiles. The first two submarines are to be built in the foreign shipyard that wins the contract and the next three at state-owned Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) and the last one at the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).
The reason why DCNS of France may be the top contender from the second line of six submarines is because of the reduction in the cost of building the submarines. Since DCNS is already supplying the first six Scorpene submarines and has MDL following its lead, the costs for new submarines may be reduced due to common components and the established assembly line and other submarine building equipment and other critical requirements.
The Indian Navy desperately needs the second line of submarines because in a few years, the Indian Navy will be left with just five to six of its present fleet of 16 diesel-electric submarines which includes 10 Russian Kilo-class submarines, four German HDW and two virtually obsolete Foxtrot submarines.
Indian defence news and strategic intelligence
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