Submarine Plans of Navy in danger: France’s Naval Group pulls out of P75I
Indian Navy wanted to take the modernisation of its submarine arm with the Project 75I where atleast 6 submarines for approximately 6 billion USD were to be built and delivered to Indian Navy. Recently the 6th and final Kalvari class Project 75 submarine was launched. It was last of its series.
Indian Navy plans called for a fleet of 24 Diesel Electric Submarines spread over three projects P75, P75I and P76. The P75 is in its last stages. But the Project 75I seems unable to get to start.
Naval Group had offered a conventional variant of its Barracuda Class SSN for Indian Navy. It was one of the 5 shortlisted shipyards. But Naval Group announced that “We are no longer in the race, announced this Wednesday the communication from Naval Group. We invested in the information request phase , but certain conditions of the call for tenders did not allow us to participate in the end.”
Naval Group explains that it is now concentrating its efforts on the integration of an anaerobic propulsion system, during the future refit of the Kalvari class platforms, in cooperation with the navy and Indian industry.
Project 75I has seen a spate of shipyards giving up. Japan and Sweden had refused to participate in the first RFI phase itself. After which 5 shipyards remained. But earlier Germany and Russia too had pulled out. And now with the French pulling out, only Spain and South Korea remains in the race.
Indian Navy is in a desperate need to modernise it’s submarine fleet in the region as Pakistan is buying 8 new Submarines and Bangladesh too it’s investing in submarines. Chinese submarines are now permanently present in the IOR.
Source : https://actu.fr/normandie/cherbourg-en-cotentin_50129/developpe-par-naval-group-un-nouveau-sous-marin-d-attaque-mis-a-l-eau-en-inde_50376002.html
