New Delhi: The Navy will issue a global
tender for procuring six next generation submarines worth over
Rs 50,000 crore by the end of this year.
"The government has cleared Project-75 India which is
the next lot of six submarines... At the moment we are going
with the Request for Information (RFI) process, I hope within
this year we would be able to push off the tender," Navy Chief
Admiral Nirmal Verma told reporters on the sidelines of a
submarine seminar.
Project-75 India is a follow-on of the Scorpene
submarine project, six of which are being built by the Mazgaon
Dockyards Limited (MDL) under a Rs 20,000 crore deal with
French company DCNS.
With a depleted submarine strength, the Navy is
planning to induct over 12 submarines in the next 10-12 years.
The plans have also suffered a setback in view of the delays
in the construction of the Scorpenes in Mumbai.
Talking about the capabilities of future submarines,
the Navy Chief said, "It will be a different boat in the sense
that we are revising its Qualitative Requirements. Along with
better sensors it will also have better hiding capability,
improved detection range and combat management system."
He said the Navy would go for the Air Independent
Propulsion (AIP) systems for the submarines, which would
enhance their capability of remaining submerged in water for a
longer time period.
On the weapon systems to be put on the next line of
underwater vessels, Verma said Navy was planning to use a mix
of indigenous torpedoes along with the missiles which are
being deployed on the Scorpene submarines.
To a question on safety of Indian fishermen being
targeted by the Sri Lankan Navy, he said, "The issue was
highlighted during the visit of the Sri Lankan President also.
The joint working group on fisheries is supposed to address
these issues and that is the way to resolve it."
He denied knowledge of any apprehensions expressed by
China on India's forthcoming exercises with the Navies of the
US and Japan. "You have to bear in mind that it is not the
first time these exercises are happening. I am not aware of
any such apprehension," he said.
On the annual exercise TROPEX, the Admiral said that
besides elements from Army and Air Force, the Navy would also
include its amphibious elements for the first time in the
exercise.
"TROPEX in terms of involved expenses and platforms is
the largest exercise we have. This time we have huge
amphibious elements including the participation from Army and
the Air Force," he said.
Indian Navy inducted its first amphibious warship INS
Jalashwa from US in 2007.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 15:23