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Indian Navy Special |
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Operational Gap |
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Submarines remain Indian Navy’s biggest challenge |
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The importance of submarines can never be overstated: its very presence in the
Order of Battle is itself deterrence. For this reason, there should be concern about
the numbers and technological limitations of Indian submarines. On the one
hand, the numbers are fast depleting. On the other hand, the existing submarines
lack the technological know-how to adjust their roles and missions to changing
times: from operating alone to contributing to the land battle. Considering that
the lifespan of a conventional submarines is 25 years, by 2010, most of the kilo-
class submarines should be de-commissioned, bringing the strength, unless,
reinforced well in time, to a total of five submarines. (It is another matter that for
want of timely replacements, Indian defence services are usually forced to flog
old weapon platforms). At present, the navy has two foxtrot class submarines
of the Sixties vintage that have little operational value and are tasked for
training purposes. Of the 10 kilo class submarines, the first, INS Sindhughosh
(visited by FORCE team) was commissioned in April 1986 and the last one, INS
Sindhushastra in July 2000. The navy also has four conventional (SSK), HDW-
T1500 class submarines. Six Scorpene submarines are presently being built at
MDL, Mumbai; the first ship is expected to join service only by 2012, thereafter
one submarine would be commissioned each year.
Here then is the big challenge for the navy: how to move fast on its Project-
75, the 30 year submarine building plan (2000 to 2030) that was cleared by
the government in July 1999 and is in two steps. Step one envisaged that
six each western and eastern submarines be built in India. The second step
implied that after the experience gained from the above, 12 submarines would
be indigenously designed and built. Considering that the navy has already lost
five years of Project-75, it has two options: One, to wait till six Scorpene have
been built at MDL by 2017, and then to make six more submarines of the same
type (till 2023) on the existing production line. If this approach is adopted, it
would leave little time for the remaining 12 indigenous submarines to be built on
time. Two, to start negotiations for the Russian Amur submarines; the private
contractors Larsen and Tubro, which have facilities to build reactor hull in Hazira
in Mumbai have already been short-listed for Amur construction in India, Amur is
cheaper than Scorpene, will be built faster, and has the facility to fit the BrahMos
cruise missile on board. The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta told
FORCE that decision on the submarines would be taken soon. This is a welcome
development.
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