India completes price negotiation for Israeli Spike ATGMs

 

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has completed price negotiations with Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems for Spike anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems for the Indian Army for an estimated USD1 billion.
Industry sources said on 26 May that the MoD's contract negotiation committee concluded consultations to acquire 275 launchers and 5,500 Spike missiles in completed and kit form along with an undisclosed number of simulators.
The deal also includes a technology transfer to India's state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to build another 1,500 systems and around 30,000 additional missiles.
The contract for the manportable, fire-and-forget ATGMs featuring third-generation active/passive guidance systems, and a top-attack capability is likely to be confirmed before or during the visit of Israeli president Reuven Rivlin to India later this year, official sources said.
Deliveries are expected to be completed 48-60 months thereafter, while BDL will continue to licence-build the Spike for the next 20-25 years.
India's Kalyani Strategic Systems, which signed a joint venture with Rafael in February 2015, will also be involved in the Spike ATGM contract, supplying components and subassemblies from a newly erected facility in Hyderabad.
In 2009 the MoD approved the acquisition of 1,914 ATGM launchers and 37,860 missiles, including training rounds and 107 simulators, through direct imports and licensed manufacture to equip the Indian Army's 359-odd infantry battalions.
Rafael's Spike was the only ATGM to undergo user trials in 2010-11. Consequently over 50 of these guided missiles with a strike range of between 800 m and 4 km were tested and approved by the Indian Army.
The MoD has since continually deferred the Spike procurement on the grounds that it would be a single-vendor purchase, which since 2002 has largely been discouraged under successive editions of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP).
However, pressure from the army, which operates licence-built Soviet-era wire-guided 9M113 Konkurs as well as French MILAN and MILAN 2T ATGMs, fast-tracked their procurement.

janes

How is release of Italian marine linked to India’s quest for armed drones?

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Italian marine Salvatore Girone to return to his country after the central government supported his plea on “humanitarian grounds”. This is quite a turn-around from the BJP as it had strongly opposed the release of Girone and the other Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre accused of killing two fishermen from Kerala in 2012.  While the official reason proffered is “on humanitarian grounds”, the underlying reason has more to do with Italy’s blocking of India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). In October last year, Italy had vetoed India’s application to join the 34-member missile and UAV technology control committee, despite the United States supporting India’s case. Decisions to admit new members to MTCR must be approved unanimously, which allowed Italy to block India’s entry. Even though the issue of Italian marines was never raised, diplomatic sources had confirmed that it was the sub-text of the Italian veto.
MTCR controls exports of goods and technologies for rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kg to a range of at least 300 km, and on equipment, software, and technology for such systems. Being a non-signatory to MTCR means that the US or any other MTCR member country cannot export a modern armed UAV to India.
India has been keen to acquire armed UAVs from the US, and on September 24, 2015, Indian Air Force had written a letter to US company, General Atomics saying it wanted to purchase the Predator-C Avenger drone. The Avenger can fly for 18 hours, carry 3,500 pounds of munitions and reach an altitude of 50,000 feet, and is thus listed as Category I export item under the MTCR.  Earlier this month, in preparation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s June visit to Washington, Indian officials had again broached the topic of importing armed UAVs from the US with American officials. The conversation, according to sources, was a non-starter as India is not a member of the MTCR. This could be fixed in October, when the next full plenary meeting of the MTCR is likely to take place in South Korea.  Even when India joins the MTCR, exporting armed drones to India – which can be potentially used to strike at targets inside Pakistan – will not be an easy decision for the US.
India doesn’t use air power, including helicopter gunships, on its own territory while fighting domestic insurgencies and this rules out the use of armed drones as well. If these armed drones are meant to be used against Pakistan, selling them to India would be a huge call for the US to take. The US State Department would need to approve the sale and then inform the US Congress, which will review the transfer. A US State Department policy issued last year on selling armed drones to allies underlined the sensitivity of such sales.  But those questions arise only after India becomes a member of the MTCR. Releasing the Italian marine is the first step towards becoming a member of the export control regime. The rest can now follow.

indianexpress

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Italian marine Salvatore Girone to return to his country after the central government supported his plea on “humanitarian grounds”. This is quite a turn-around from the BJP as it had strongly opposed the release of Girone and the other Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre accused of killing two fishermen from Kerala in 2012.
While the official reason proffered is “on humanitarian grounds”, the underlying reason has more to do with Italy’s blocking of India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). In October last year, Italy had vetoed India’s application to join the 34-member missile and UAV technology control committee, despite the United States supporting India’s case. Decisions to admit new members to MTCR must be approved unanimously, which allowed Italy to block India’s entry. Even though the issue of Italian marines was never raised, diplomatic sources had confirmed that it was the sub-text of the Italian veto.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/how-is-release-of-italian-marine-linked-to-indias-quest-for-armed-drones-2821320/#sthash.XdyJEw3P.dpuf

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Italian marine Salvatore Girone to return to his country after the central government supported his plea on “humanitarian grounds”. This is quite a turn-around from the BJP as it had strongly opposed the release of Girone and the other Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre accused of killing two fishermen from Kerala in 2012.
While the official reason proffered is “on humanitarian grounds”, the underlying reason has more to do with Italy’s blocking of India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). In October last year, Italy had vetoed India’s application to join the 34-member missile and UAV technology control committee, despite the United States supporting India’s case. Decisions to admit new members to MTCR must be approved unanimously, which allowed Italy to block India’s entry. Even though the issue of Italian marines was never raised, diplomatic sources had confirmed that it was the sub-text of the Italian veto.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/how-is-release-of-italian-marine-linked-to-indias-quest-for-armed-drones-2821320/#sthash.XdyJEw3P.dpuf

Government Looks At Concluding Rafale Deal In June: Manohar Parrikar

The government is looking at concluding the much-hyped multi-billion Euro Rafale deal next month, more than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the purchase of 36 fighter jets during his visit to France.

"There is no reason why it should not be concluded in June. Not much is left. It is in the last phase," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told PTI in Delhi in an interview.

Rejecting suggestions that there has been a delay in signing the contract for nearly 7.89 Billion Euros to procure the French fighter planes, the Minister said any such process takes at least 6-8 months.

"We started the process only in July last year. After Prime Minister's statement in April, everything came to us. We asked them (French) for various options. We met them and finally one line was decided," he said.

Noting that he is travelling for the next 8-10 days, the Minister said he will "see to it" that the deal is "concluded fast".

"Things have to be placed properly on the table. They (negotiating team) now have to submit a report to me on what has been discussed. After that we have to discuss it in the Cabinet. We will first sign an Inter Government Agreement. All these things take 3-4 weeks," he said.

The deal was announced by PM Modi in April last year during his visit to France when he said India would purchase 36 Rafales in a government-to-government contract.

Soon after the announcement, the Defence Ministry scrapped a separate process that was on to purchase 126 Rafales, built by French defence giant Dassault Aviation.

The current deal comes with the clause of delivering 50 per cent offsets, creating business worth at least 3 billion Euros for smaller Indian companies and generating thousands of new jobs in India through the offsets.

In fact, the toughest phase in the negotiations that began in July was to get the French to agree to 50 per cent offsets in the deal.

Initially, Dassault Aviation was willing to agree to reinvest only 30 per cent of the value of its contract in Indian entities to meet the offset obligations.

The French side finally agreed to invest 50 per cent of the value following a phone conversation between PM Modi and French President Francois Hollande late last year.

The commercial negotiations, as in the pricing of the planes, equipment and other issues, actually began only in mid-January this year.

NDTV

BrahMos supersonic missile’s land version successfully test-fired by Indian Air Force

The Indian Airforce successfully test-fired an advanced version of BrahMos land-attack supersonic cruise missile on Friday.
As per reports, the supersonic cruise missile was test-fired at 1200 hrs at the Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district.
The flight conducted today met its mission parameters in a copybook manner and the weapon hit and annihilated the designated target, officials confirmed.
BrahMos is the world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile developed jointly by India and Russia.
BrahMos is a short-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
The missile has a range of 290 km, has a maximum velocity of 2.8 Mach and cruises at altitudes varying from 10 metres to 15 km, claims BrahMos.
The land-attack version of BrahMos is fitted on an mobile autonomous launcher. The mobile land-based configuration of has achieved several advancements over the years in the form of Block I, Block II and Block III variants.
It is also capable of being launched from submarine from a depth of 40-50 metres. In 2013, it was successfully launched from a submerged platform. Meanwhile, BrahMos air-launched version is getting ready to be soon be test-flown from the Su-30MKI fighter of the IAF.
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Indian Air Force, India, Russia  

Zeenews

Ukraine’s Antonov is the frontrunner for HAL’s military aircraft programme

 

Ukrainian state-run Antonov has emerged as the frontrunner for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.’s (HAL) medium military transport aircraft programme.

HAL had received five proposals on its proposal to select a partner to manufacture a 50-80 seater aircraft in India. Out of the five bids, Antonov emerged as a clear winner as it met all the requirements set by HAL, sources told BusinessLine.

The Ukrainian firm, which had signed an agreement with Reliance Defence in April for joint production of their platforms in India, makes aircraft that can play both civil and military roles.

Apart from Antonov, GKN Aerospace, IAI, Ilyushin and ATR had also placed bids for the project. What worked in Antonov’s favour is that compared to all the other entrants, its series of aircraft are of recent design with state-of-the-art aviation systems like fly-by-wire, high-efficiency engines and all-weather operations.

According to estimates, the demand for 50-80 seater aircraft is expected to increase owing to the focus on tier II and III cities under the new Civil Aviation Policy. “HAL intends to leverage this opportunity through a partnering arrangement with an OEM under the Make in India programme,” officials said.

Antonov or AN class of aircraft have been part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for over five decades. The IAF has more than 100 AN-32 aircraft recently upgraded on its inventory.

HAL is also looking at Antonov for additional military functions such as troop carrying and cargo, maritime patrol and reconnaissance, search and rescue operations. 

 thehindubusinessline

Rafale deal: France rejects bank guarantee, awaits India’s reply

India is yet to respond, either verbally or in writing, to a letter sent to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on April 1 by his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, who made what is said to be the “best offer” his country can make in a government-to-government deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets, sources told The Indian Express.
The initial French offer for the 36 fighters made by Dassault Aviation was for around Euro 10.5 billion, following which the Indian side asked for a 30 per cent cut. The latest offer, made in the French minister’s letter, is of around Euro 7.8 billion, said sources.
Days before the letter was sent, the French side had rejected an Indian request for a sovereign guarantee or a bank guarantee for the deal, and instead offered to provide a “comfort letter” from their prime minister.
 As reported by The Indian Express on March 14, the law ministry had raised objections over France’s refusal to provide any bank guarantees. Asked about Le Drian’s letter, the defence ministry said it does not comment on ongoing negotiations between two governments.  Sources said there was “a significant difference” between the two offers. The original offer included a ten-year product support period, which has been brought down to five years, they said. The latest figure also does not include the cost of setting up infrastructure at two airbases for two Rafale squadrons, said sources.  It’s learnt that one of the bases is proposed to be established in the east, to tackle the Chinese threat, and the other in the north.  India will have to make a payment of 15 per cent of the total cost at the time of signing the deal, said sources. The first aircraft is scheduled to be supplied within 36 months of the signing of the deal while the last aircraft will reach India in seven years.
 ”Even though the Indian configuration is different from what the French air force flies, calculations show that the French government has agreed to provide a discount of around 7-8 per cent over its buying price. It will have to compensate Dassault for it in some way,” said sources.  The IAF has demanded a fighter configuration different from the one flown by the French air force, including an Israeli helmet-mounted camera and a third-party weapons system.  Price negotiations for the jets have been complicated by deals signed by France for selling the fighter to Egypt and Qatar. Sources said it would not be possible for France to go too far below those prices. Unlike India, Egypt and Qatar have opted for the same configuration as Dassault supplies to the French air force.  Sources also said that there was a small window available for the two sides to close the deal. French Ambassador François Richier, who has been closely involved with the deal, is ending his Delhi stint in June.
It would take a few months for his replacement to present his credentials and understand the intricacies of the deal, they said.  The French establishment is also expected to go into election mode later this year with presidential polls scheduled next year.  India had announced its decision to buy the 36 fighters from France during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris last April. This followed the selection of the French fighter in a decade-long competitive bid for India’s next Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The 126-aircraft MMRCA tender was withdrawn by the NDA government soon after the announcement of the 36 fighter deal in Paris.  Technical negotiations were completed earlier this year and the deal was expected to be signed in January when French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. But both sides were unable to conclude negotiations over price by then.

 indianexpress

As reported by The Indian Express on March 14, the law ministry had raised objections over France’s refusal to provide any bank guarantees. Asked about Le Drian’s letter, the defence ministry said it does not comment on ongoing negotiations between two governments.
Sources said there was “a significant difference” between the two offers. The original offer included a ten-year product support period, which has been brought down to five years, they said. The latest figure also does not include the cost of setting up infrastructure at two airbases for two Rafale squadrons, said sources.
It’s learnt that one of the bases is proposed to be established in the east, to tackle the Chinese threat, and the other in the north.
India will have to make a payment of 15 per cent of the total cost at the time of signing the deal, said sources. The first aircraft is scheduled to be supplied within 36 months of the signing of the deal while the last aircraft will reach India in seven years.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/rafale-deal-france-rejects-bank-guarantee-awaits-indias-reply-2817725/#sthash.pVcCaaZn.dpuf

As reported by The Indian Express on March 14, the law ministry had raised objections over France’s refusal to provide any bank guarantees. Asked about Le Drian’s letter, the defence ministry said it does not comment on ongoing negotiations between two governments.
Sources said there was “a significant difference” between the two offers. The original offer included a ten-year product support period, which has been brought down to five years, they said. The latest figure also does not include the cost of setting up infrastructure at two airbases for two Rafale squadrons, said sources.
It’s learnt that one of the bases is proposed to be established in the east, to tackle the Chinese threat, and the other in the north.
India will have to make a payment of 15 per cent of the total cost at the time of signing the deal, said sources. The first aircraft is scheduled to be supplied within 36 months of the signing of the deal while the last aircraft will reach India in seven years.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/rafale-deal-france-rejects-bank-guarantee-awaits-indias-reply-2817725/#sthash.pVcCaaZn.dpuf

Advanced Pinaka with new technology test fired

 

The defence officials on Friday tested a new technology in a bid to incorporate ‘guidance system’ in the advanced version of indigenously built Pinaka rocket system.
The new technology in Pinaka was successfully tested from a defence base off the Odisha coast. Two rounds of the rocket were fired from the test range of Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) at Chandipur-on-sea.Defence sources said the rockets were fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) at 11.35 am and 01.15 pm. The tests were conducted by both the PXE and Integrated Test Range (ITR). The mission validated all parameters as coordinated by the Pinaka team.
“Since guided Pinaka is coming up in future, they are capturing data for further analysis. The data would be useful for the future guided flight. However, both the tests were successful as they had a good flight,” said a defence official denying to divulge details about the new technology. 
The tracking radars have monitored the movements of the rockets till the point of impact. The advanced version of the rocket system has proved its efficiency and capability. The source informed that two more rounds of test have been planned on Monday.
As per the specification, the MBRL can fire 12 rockets with 1.2 tonne of high explosives within 44 seconds and destroy a target area of four sqkm at a time. The quick reaction time and high rate of fire of the system gives an edge to the Army during a low-intensity conflict situation.
Pinaka is the first indigenous rocket system successfully designed, developed and produced by the ARDE with the help of private industries. The system’s capability to incorporate several types of warheads makes it deadly for the enemy as it can even destroy their solid structures and bunkers.
An earlier version of the rocket system, which has undergone several tough tests since 1995, has been inducted into the armed forces while the present trials are being conducted with some improvements in the system. The rocket system has been developed to neutralise large areas with rapid salvos.

 newindianexpress

France has made a latest offer for 36 Rafale fighter jets and this might be the last one

 

There are chances that the deal between India and France over procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets will inch forward as Paris has made its 'best price' offer.

France has asked India to pay 7.25 billion Euros for 36 new jets, a deal which has been stuck for months over pricing issue.

This offer also includes an offset clause that would make Dassault and Thales invest in the Indian defence and security sector.

France has agreed to a 50 percent offset clause.

The latest offer is likely to be the last one. Earlier, France had asked for 8.8 billion Euros.

Meanwhile, both the countries are also in talks over a five-year support package for the fighter jets, down from the ten-year package that was being discussed earlier.

ET quoted sources saying that the weapons package will be signed separately as has been the norm but the original requirement has been pruned.

"The Rafale deal is in quite an advanced stage and we intend to close it quite soon," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said.

 businessinsider

India, Russia to finalise 5th Gen fighter jet deal

 
Away from the much discussed issue of how French and US companies are in the race to provide fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, India and Russia have quietly set about to conclude a pending agreement to co-develop the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). Sources confirmed to The Tribune that a deal for signing a research and development (R&D) contract for the FGFA would be inked in the coming months. The differences are being ironed out. 
The R&D contract signing has been pending since June 2013 when the preliminary design contract (PDC), which detailed out the fighter’’s configuration, was completed. The PDC cost $295 million (Rs 1,483 crore). New Delhi has told Russia that it wants a new engine and the plane must have super cruise ability, a 360-degree radar ability, added stealth features among 40-odd other modifications over the existing prototype. A plane called the ‘T-50’ built by the Russians under the PAK-FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) programme as FGFA is already being tested as prototype in Russia. 
The IAF said AL-41F1 engines being used on the existing T-50 were just upgraded versions of the Sukhoi-30MKI’’s AL-31FP engines and it would need a new engine. Also, the Ministry of Defence wants that the R&D contract should have an adequate share of work done in India, thus allowing Indian engineers to learn the art of designing and making a plane. The R&D contract is estimated to be for US $4 billion (around Rs 26,000 crore) and a ‘prototype fighter jet’ could be flying in India within three years. The R&D process and final development of the plane is expected to be spread across seven years. 
If the India-Russia deal goes through, the Ministry of Defence-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be the Indian partner. New Delhi is looking at huge numbers in case of its transfer of technology deal. It could be in excess of 200 jets over the next two decades, said sources. In a war scenario with China, an aircraft such as the FGFA would be ideal for missions deep into Tibet. Beijing has good border infrastructure that poses threat to India. With a dwindling fleet of fighter jets, the IAF is now operating at its lowest combat strength in more than a decade. It is down to 33 squadrons (some 16-18 planes in each) as against a mandated 42 squadrons needed for simultaneous and collusive two-front war scenario with Pakistan and China.

 tribuneindia

Germany's TKMS Offers Type 214 Diesel Electric Submarines to India for P75I

Germany is offering TKMS Type 214 submarines to India on government-to-government contract, according to Economic Times of India newspaper. The latest offer is for the P75I (Project 75 India) programme, which will provide six new submarines to the Indian Fleet, in addition to the DCNS Scorpène (Project 75) currently being built.The Indian Government plans to issue the new tender by the end of the year. The new type of submarines is planned to cost USD11.1 billion and will replace some of the 13 older submarines in service. France, Sweden Spain and Russia are also reported to be taking part to the competition.

The new platforms will have a larger displacement compared to the Scorpène and will be equipped with an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system and modern sensors. Their weapons will comprise of torpedoes and missiles.

Germany is now offering the TKMS Type 214 submarines with an AIP system. It is the first time that it offers a defence system on a government-to-government base. According to Economic Times of India, the German government will provide assurance for a fair price, technology transfer and quality.

Under the “Make in India” initiative, the government plans to boost the domestic industrial capabilities. A special state project committee has shortlisted five domestic companies for the Project 75I programme. These are the state-owned Mazagon Dock Limited, Cochin Shipyard Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited and the privately owned Pipapav and Larsen&Toubro shipyards.

 navyrecognition

Defence Logistics agreement won’t be signed during Modi’s US trip, little progress on other agreements

 

The signing of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) for exchange of military logistics services between India and the US is unlikely to happen during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US next month. The progress on other major agreements announced last month during US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter’s visit is also very slow.
The highlight of Carter’s visit to India in early April was the in-principle announcement by the two countries to sign LEMOA, an agreement which will allow the militaries of either country to avail logistics facilities on other’s bases as per an established process, provided the two sides agree to it. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had then announced that no further comments can be made till the draft of LEMOA is returned by the defence ministry to Pentagon, which he expected to take around four weeks.

Senior defence ministry sources, however, told The Indian Express that the draft of LEMOA has still not been shared with the Pentagon. “The process of inter-ministerial consultations is on and our effort is to conclude it as early as possible. We are hopeful of signing it in the near future. But there is no chance of LEMOA being signed during the Prime Minister’s visit,” a senior official said.

The Indian Express has also learnt that the Pentagon had sent the draft of LEMOA in January itself, which was negotiated by the defence ministry with a legal team from Pentagon in February this year. Defence ministry confirmed that it had received the drafts in January, and had undertaken negotiations with the team from Pentagon.
“Drafts of the agreements, including LEMOA were delivered in the third week of January and we had a team of experts visit in the first week of February. They discussed each agreement with the members of MEA and MOD at the Joint Secretary level. JS(AMS) and JS(PIC) had received these drafts, besides others, and the drafts were also with the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy,” US defence sources involved in the negotiation of agreements told The Indian Express.
The LEMOA agreement is based on the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) signed by the US with its closest allies. The LSA has been tailored to reflect India’s concerns, where the language has been amended, as per Indian officials, “to reinforce the non-contractual nature of the agreement”.
According to American sources, “there were minor changes in the text suggested during the negotiations. Sometimes we got the feeling if flying a team of lawyers from Pentagon to Delhi was really worth it.”
Carter had also announced the finalisation of a White Shipping Agreement between India and the US, which also got delayed after the senior Pentagon official dealing with it, cancelled his trip to Delhi this month. According to Navy officials, “We already have a similar agreement with five countries and see no problems here. This agreement though will be signed by the Shipping ministry.”
Another item mentioned during Carter’s Delhi visit was the Aircraft Carrier Working Group established between the two navies, which is also unlikely to see any progress. This was to allow the transfer of American technologies to Indian Navy for the construction of its second indigenous aircraft carrier. While US officials expect the information exchange annexure to be shared by India in a couple of months’ time, Indian Navy officials have told The Indian Express that this will have to await the finalisation of their own Project Report.
The Ministry of Defence has allotted Rs 25 crore to study and prepare a project report for the second indigenous aircraft carrier. A team of three officers, under a Rear Admiral, is working on the study. Once finalised, the report will freeze the navy’s requirement, thereby allowing it to prepare the information exchange annexure to be shared with the US, sources in the navy said.

 indianexpress

16 yrs on, India’s 1st new submarine starts trial

India's first new conventional submarine in 16 years finally began its sea trials off Mumbai on Sunday, giving much-needed fillip to the Navy, which is battling to retain its underwater combat edge over Pakistan, even while being confronted with Chinese submarines popping up all over the Indian Ocean.

But the diesel-electric Scorpene submarine —to be commissioned as INS Kalvari (tiger shark) by 2016-end — is like an underwater predator without teeth, a gun without bullets, as of now. The induction of its "primary weapons", heavyweight torpedoes, remains enmeshed in the still-exploding VIP helicopter scam.

The Rs 1,800 crore-acquisition of 'Black Shark' torpedoes from Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica's subsidiary Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquel to arm the six French-origin Scorpene submarines being constructed at Mazagon Docks has been hanging fire for several years.

First, the acquisition project was put on hold after German Atlas Elektronik Gmbh complained of "irregularities" in the selection process after the Black Shark torpedo was chosen over its Seahake torpedo. Then, after a special technical oversight committee gave it the go-ahead, the VIP helicopter scam erupted to derail the process once again, as earlier reported by TOI.In effect, INS Kalvari will be inducted with tube-launched SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles but its main weapon to maintain stealth will be missing. The Rs 23,652 crore Scorpene project, with contracts being inked way back in October 2005, has faced huge time and cost overruns.


The first Scorpene, for instance, was to be ready by 2012, with the other five coming by 2017. "INS Kalvari will now be commissioned by December, with the other five following at nine-month intervals till 2020. Its first surface sea sortie will be followed by a barrage of dive, noise and weapons trials. But the trials will have to be halted during the June-July monsoons due to choppy waters," said an official. In effect, INS Kalvari will be inducted with tube-launched SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles but its main weapon to maintain stealth will be missing. The Rs 23,652 crore Scorpene project, with contracts being inked way back in October 2005, has faced huge time and cost overruns.

The first Scorpene, for instance, was to be ready by 2012, with the other five coming by 2017. "INS Kalvari will now be commissioned by December, with the other five following at nine-month intervals till 2020. Its first surface sea sortie will be followed by a barrage of dive, noise and weapons trials. But the trials will have to be halted during the June-July monsoons due to choppy waters," said an official. The Navy, meanwhile, is down to just 13 ageing conventional submarines, nine of them of Russian-origin Sindhughosh class and four German or Shishumar-class. While a submarine's prescribed design life is 25 years, 10 of them have already crossed that mark.

Incidentally, it was the Vajpayee-led NDA government that in July 1999 had approved a 30-year submarine building plan for induction of 24 submarines in a phased manner. Seventeen years later, not even one submarine has been commissioned.

 timesofindia