The Indian Navy currently operates the Russian Kilo-Class, the German HDW-Class and the latest French Scorpene-Class conventional submarines and INS chakra (Akula-Class) nuclear submarines from Russia. Only two new conventional submarines had been added in the past 15 years, including the Scorpene-class INS Kalvari and INS Khanderi.
The plan to build six new submarines as part of Project 75I(I for India) is a follow-on of the Project 75 Kalvari-class submarines. Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel-electric submarines, which will also feature advanced air-independent propulsion systems to enable them to stay submerged for longer duration and substantially increase their operational range.
Project 75I is based on the Scorpene-class submarine designed by the French Company Naval Group that could be built in India by Mazagon Dock in Mumbai, India, using the technology and training provided by Naval Group.
The submarines in the P75I Scorpene-class are powered by conventional diesel-electric propulsion systems. The last two submarines are expected to be equipped with AIP technology, which is developed by DRDO to provide long-range and extended endurance capabilities. The submarines are also installed with batteries.
The P75I Scorpene class submarines will be armed with six torpedo launching tubes, 18 heavy weapons, tube-launched MBDA SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles and precision-guided weapons. The weapons are carried in weapon launching tubes and can be easily reloaded at sea.
The initial Expression of Interest to foreign vendors willing to take part in the mega programme, the Navy wants the submarines to be equipped with heavy-duty firepower as it wants the boats to have at least 12 Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) along with Anti-Ship cruise missiles (ASCM). The Navy specified that the submarines should also be able to carry and launch 18 heavyweight torpedoes in the sea. Compared with the Scorpene, the firepower required in the next line of submarines is many times more than what is being put on the Scorpenes which have the heavyweight torpedoes and the Exocet surface to surface missiles as their main weapons.
It is necessary for the P-75I programme to make concrete contribution to submarine building capacity in India but in a way that also helps us towards indigenisation as has been achieved for nuclear submarines.
