New Delhi: To strengthen its capabilities of
carrying out special underwater operations in high seas and
enemy harbours, the Indian Navy is planning to procure five
midget submarines for the Marine Commandos (MARCOS).
Submarines weighing less than 150 tonnes are classified
as midgets and are used by the Navies to carry out underwater
covert operations and surveillance missions.
The Navy has already initiated the process of procuring
these vessels and recently issued a Request for Proposal to
Indian shipyards including Hindustan Shipyards Limited, ABG
and Pipavav shipyards, Defence Ministry sources said to a news agency here.
Initially, Navy is planning to get only five of these
vessels but the inductions can be doubled later on.
The induction of these midgets is part of the Navy's
efforts to strengthen its operational capabilities after the
26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai last year, sources said.
With capacity of carrying four to six personnel on board,
the submarines would have a diving depth of around 400 metres,
they added.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, November 01, 2009, 11:57