India's depleting submarine strength worries Navy

<b>Text: Rajat Pandit, TNN</b><br><br>What is the use of a gun without bullets? Or a shark, even if a metal one, without teeth? Using this logic, the Navy has sought a waiver from the government to ink the Rs 1,800 crore deal with Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica for torpedoes to arm its Scorpene submarines. <br><br>With the first Scorpene INS Kalvari set to head for year-long extensive trials this August, Navy has pressed the panic button of "critical operational necessity" for the acquisition of 'Black Shark' torpedoes from Finmeccanica subsidiary Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquel (WASS).

The ongoing Rs 23,562 crore construction of six French Scorpene submarines at Mazagon Docks (Mumbai) is running four years behind schedule.<br><br> The first Scorpene, which was finally "undocked" on April 6, is now to be commissioned in September 2016. The other five will be delivered by 2020, at intervals of nine months each. <br><br><i>In pic: First project 75 (Scorpene) Submarine on pontoon at Mazagon dock in Mumbai.</i><br><br><i>Image by Ministry of Defence</i>

The Scorpenes will be toothless without heavyweight torpedoes. While the submarine can also fire SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles from its six firing tubes, the torpedoes are its primary weapons to maintain stealth. <br><br><i>In pic: First project 75 (Scorpene) Submarine on pontoon at Mazagon dock in Mumbai.</i><br><br><i>Image by Ministry of Defence</i>

Tender yet to be issued. Will take 10 years for first of six stealth submarines to roll out.<br><br>Cost: Likely to be over Rs 80,000 crore. <br><br><i>In pic: First project 75 (Scorpene) Submarine on pontoon at Mazagon dock in Mumbai.</I>