navy: Indian Navy’s P75I submarine programme in troubled waters

Hassle and delays proceed to canine the navy’s plan to construct six fashionable standard submarines that may keep underwater for extended period, with overseas collaborators failing to satisfy a deadline for submission of bids.

Sources stated that the Rs 43,000 crore P 75I programme-under which an Indian shipyard will assemble submarines domestically in partnership with a overseas know-how partner-is being given one other extension, with a brand new deadline for bid submission being set for August 2023.

As per the unique plan, Indian shipyards needed to submit a consolidated bid with a overseas collaborator in 2021. After a sequence of points had been raised relating to legal responsibility clauses and different difficulties, the deadline was prolonged to June 2022. This was additional prolonged to December this 12 months as no responses had been acquired.

As reported by ET, overseas know-how companions are discovering it tough to satisfy vital specs for underwater endurance and stealth, moreover having issues on know-how switch. Whereas Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Techniques (TKMS) and South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) have been in talks with Indian shipyards on the technical features of designing a brand new submarine for India, vital parameters required by the navy are being discovered tough to satisfy.
The most recent extension, sources stated, was acquired on November 30, with the navy giving shipyards an extra 9 months to place collectively a bid. The distinctive characteristic of the brand new submarines is a sea-proven Air Impartial Propulsion (AIP) system-a vital part that may allow these boats to stay submerged for over two weeks, in opposition to the 2-3 days of underwater endurance of present submarines.

Nonetheless, overseas know-how companions are struggling to satisfy technical necessities, although a few of their issues over clauses within the draft contract, which positioned virtually limitless efficiency and supply legal responsibility, have been addressed.

Switch of know-how is a key requirement of the tender however it’s learnt that at the least one of many overseas bidders is but to acquire permissions to share vital know-how that was developed utilizing authorities funding.

Indian firms shortlisted for the construction-Mazagaon Dockyards Ltd (MDL) and Larsen and Toubro (L&T)-have been in discussions with overseas know-how companions from Germany, France, Russia, South Korea and Spain for the previous few years to agency up a know-how switch plan.

Nonetheless, solely Germany and South Korean individuals stay within the recreation because the navy has put the situation that the bidder must have a sea-proven AIP system. Russia, France and Spain do have AIP know-how however it’s not fitted on a submarine the place it may be demonstrated. AIP know-how has been efficiently demonstrated by DRDO however is but to be sea confirmed. The house-grown AIP may be absolutely compliant with all necessities in a bit over three years, in accordance with DRDO officers.