Submarine shock: A K Antony fast-tracks projects

NEW DELHI: Jolted by the sinking of submarine INS Sindhurakshak, the government is finally undertaking a three-pronged strategy to ensure the country's weakening underwater combat arm is not blunted any further.


With submarines being critical for neutralizing hostile warships, laying offensive mine-fields and blockading enemy harbours, the aim is to retain the "combat edge" over Pakistan and maintain "dissuasive defence" against China.

Sources said defence minister A K Antony has directed that top priority should be given to maintaining the "health" of the existing 13 conventional diesel-electric submarines - 11 of which are 20-27 years old -- through "faster" life-extension, upgrade and maintenance refits.

The Navy can currently deploy just seven to eight of its 13 aging submarines, which includes nine Kilo or Sindhugosh-class vessels of Russian-origin and four HDW or Shishumar-class boats of German origin, as was first reported by TOI last week.

Second, there should be no more slippages in the ongoing construction of six French Scorpene submarines at Mazagon Docks (MDL) in Mumbai, under the Rs 23,562 crore programme called 'Project-75', which is already running four years behind schedule.

Most importantly, Antony has now asked officials to "expedite" the 30-year submarine building plan, which was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) way back in July 1999 but has been stuck in the doldrums for years.

It envisaged induction of the first dozen submarines - six each under Project-75 and 'Project-75India' with foreign collaboration - by 2012. Another 12 submarines with "totally indigenous design" were to be inducted in the 2012-2030 timeframe. But 14 years later, Navy is yet to induct even one of the 24 planned submarines.

The "draft CCS note" for the long-delayed Project-75I, under which the six stealth submarines will be armed with both land-attack missiles and air-independent propulsion (AIP) for greater underwater endurance, is now finally ready. "The note will be sent to CCS for approval within a month or so," said a source.

The fresh CCS nod is needed because the over Rs 50,000 crore Project-75I will see the first two submarines being directly imported from the foreign collaborator to save time, while three will be constructed at MDL, and the sixth at Hindustan Shipyard (HSL) in Visakhapatnam. The earlier CCS clearance was for all six vessels to be constructed in India.

Since it will take a decade for the first submarine to roll out under Project-75I, MoD is also stressing upon timely refits for ensuring operational availability of submarines. Two Kilo and two HDW submarines are stuck in prolonged "mid-life medium-refit cum upgrades" at HSL and Mumbai naval dockyard. Another two vessels are undergoing the relatively shorter "assistance maintenance" programmes. "One Kilo-class submarine, for instance, has been at HSL for several years," the source said.

The first Scorpene submarine, in turn, will now be delivered by November 2016. "MDL has assured MoD that one submarine will thereafter roll out every 10-11 months. All the six hulls are ready," he said.