Four ship builders including from Germany, France, Russia and Sweden have responded to global tender for manufacturing six submarines, known as Project-75 India in collaboration with an Indian shipyard. The cost of the project is more than Rs 70,000 crore and Japan and Spain have opted out. The diesel-powered submarines will be built under the Strategic Partnership policy of the government announced earlier this year for manufacturing warships, submarines and fighter jets within in the country.
The last date for responding to the request for information(RFI) was earlier this week and Naval Group-DCNS (France), ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems(Germany), Saab Kockums(Sweden) and Rosoboronexport Rubin Design Bureau(Russia) responded. However, Mitsubishi-Kawasaki Heavy Industries(Japan) and Navantia(Spain) did not do so, sources said here on Friday.
The project was given the go-ahead in 2007 for the Navy to have six submarines fitted with land-attack cruise missiles, integrated indigenous weapons and sensors besides air-independent propulsion for longer underwater endurance.
It was learnt that Japan, which manufactures Soryu-class submarines, was keen to have a government to government deal with India for this project. France, Russia and Germany have collaborated with India in submarines with France at present building six Scorpene submarines at Mazagon Docks(Mumbai).
At present, India has 15 conventional submarines of Russian and German origin besides one nuclear powered indigenously designed submarine INS Arihant and another nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra procured from Russia for ten years on lease basis. Most of the conventional submarines are in the finals stages of their operational life and the Navy urgently needs to induct new platforms to augment its submarine fleet.
The four contenders to respond for the latest project include Scorpene(France), A-26(Sweden), Amur(Russia) and Type 214. The Navy will now examine the capabilities of these submarines to formulate technical parameters. The formal tender will then be issued for the four to enable them to submit technical and commercial bids. The defence ministry, meanwhile, will identify the Indian shipyard as per the strategic partnership policy.