Black Shark sinks, advantage Atlas?

With a deal for 98 Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes built by Finmeccanica subsidiary WASS virtually dead in the water in the aftermath of the AgustaWestland episode, the Indian Navy is weighing other options. Alternative suppliers are also moving quickly to position themselves for an advantage. The recently concluded Defexpo show saw Germany's Atlas Elektronik formalise its partnership with private Indian shipbuilder Pipavav, announcing the intention to hammer out a joint venture that will upgrade the Indian Navy Class 209's existing torpedoes and offer license-built SeaHake Mod4 torpedoes for the heavyweight torpedo requirement.Atlas (a joint venture of ThyssenKrupp and Airbus Group). The naval weapon is being pitched as having extreme unmatched endurance and guided range far beyond the firing platform's sensor range, very high speed, including continuous speed control to encounter present and future scenarios, multiple homing modes, including active, passive, combined, acoustic homing and wake homing. Atlas has also conveyed that the SeaHake can be integrated on any modern submarine platform and combat management system, including the Class 214 and S-80 that will compete in the prospective Project 75-I competition for six new generation conventional attack submarines.

  By SP's Special Correspondent