Scorpene-class submarine among 3 frontline platforms to be inducted by Navy on Jan. 15

Context: The Indian Navy is set to commission three frontline platforms into
service at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, on January 15. This is the sixth and
last Scorpene-class submarine, Vagsheer; the fourth and last of the Project-15B
stealth destroyers, and the leadership of the Project-17A stealth frigates,
Nilgiri. All three platforms had been manufactured at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Ltd. (MDL), Mumbai. While the two ships are indigenously designed, the Scorpene-class
submarines are manufactured in India under licence from Naval Group of France.

Key points

·       Overview: The Defence
Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body for the acquisition of
military equipment for India’s armed forces, cleared proposals worth thousands
of crores.

·       Scorpene
Class Submarines in India: The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL)
in Mumbai is building six Scorpene class submarines under the Project-75, as
part of a $ 3.75 billion deal signed in 2005. The fifth submarine under this
project, INS Vagir, was commissioned in January 2023. In May 2023, the sixth
submarine Vagsheer began her sea trials.

·       Capabilities
of Scorpene Submarines: Attack Submarines - Scorpene submarines are
designed as conventional attack submarines to target and sink enemy naval
vessels.

Weapons and
Surveillance - They can launch a variety of torpedoes and missiles, equipped with
surveillance and intelligence-gathering systems.

Specifications - Scorpene
submarines are approximately 220 feet long, with a height of about 40 feet.
They have a top speed of 11 knots when surfaced and 20 knots when submerged.

Diesel-Electric
Propulsion - These submarines use diesel-electric propulsion systems, providing an
endurance of around 50 days.

·       Need
for Additional Submarines: Addressing Delays and Fleet Strength -
The procurement of three additional submarines is necessary to compensate for
the delayed deliveries under Project-75 and strengthen India’s submarine fleet.

Current Fleet
Status - The Indian Navy currently operates 16 conventional submarines, but it
needs a minimum of 18 submarines to carry out its full spectrum of operations.

Refit Challenges
-
Around 30% of submarines are under refit at any given time, further reducing
the number of operational submarines.

Employment
Opportunities - Procuring additional submarines with higher indigenous content will
create employment opportunities and enhance MDL’s submarine construction
capabilities.