Navy Starts Training For Scorpene Submarines

Two Indian naval crews will be going to France to train for operating the Scorpene killer submarines , six of which are being built at Mazagon Docks (MDL) in Mumbai under the Rs 23,562 crore programme called Project-75 .

"The Indian crews will begin the training with the French navy after some months. We now hope to get the first Scorpene by August 2015. Each submarine will have just a 36-member crew since automation levels in them are very high," said an official. With India down to just 14 submarines now, the Navy is keen that the Scorpene project, which has been hit by a huge cost escalation and is running three years behind schedule, does not suffer any more slippages.

Both MDL as well as French collaborator DCNS, however, are confident that Project-75 is now fully on track. "The first Scorpene will be 'launched' into water in 2013, and will be ready for commissioning by August 2015 after extensive harbour and sea trials," said a top DCNS official.

"The target is to deliver the sixth submarine by 2018, one every nine months after the first one in 2015. The third and fourth submarines are already under construction at MDL," the official added.

Navy, on its part, is keeping its fingers crossed about the Scorpene project as well as its new programme called "Project-75 India'' . The government of course is yet to finalize P-75 I, under which six new stealth submarines equipped with both tubelaunched missiles for landattack capabilities as well as AIP (air-independent propulsion ) are to be built with foreign collaboration for over Rs 50,000 crore.

Projections show the force will have only five of its existing 10 Russian Kiloclass and four German HDW submarines by 2020. Consequently , even with the six Scorpenes, India will be far short of the at least 18 conventional submarines required to deter Pakistan and China, both of which are rapidly augmenting their underwater combat arms.

Indian Navy trying to upgrade Shishumar class subs

The story sounds all too familiar our top secret project now delayed resulting ina big gaping security hole. No I am not talking about Tejas or Arjun for once. I am talking about our "made in India" Scorpene class subs.Navy sources told agency "Our submarine fleet is depleting and numbers are expected to go down with the delay in the Scorpene project. Originally navy had plans of inducting the first Scorpene submarine by 2011 but due to MDL and Navy's incompetence the much coveted project P-75 is delayed. The first sub will only come out in 2015-16.
As we all know our submarines are outnumbered and outgunned by new Chinese and Pakistani submarines thus India is holding talks with Germany to upgrade the capabilities of its HDW underwater vessels. Discussions in this regard are being held between the two countries at the ongoing fifth Indo-German Defence Committee meeting. The talks are on with German officials to upgrade the existing fleet of four HDW submarines," they said.
The HDW submarines, also known as Shishumar class in the Indian Navy, were procured from Germany in the mid 80s and the last of it was inducted in 1990-91. These submarines are a lengthier and heavier Indian variant of the German HDW Type 209 submarine (designated Type 1500 by HDW). They were commissioned between 1986 and 1994. The first two vessels were built at HDW, while the remainder were built at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai under a technology transfer agreement. These submarines have a displacement of 1660 tons when surfaced, a speed of 22 knots (41 km/h), and a complement of 40 including eight officers.
Due to the delays in the project, the Government has decided to upgrade the existing fleet of Russian origin Kilo class and the German vessels. A few of the Kilo class submarines have already undergone upgrades in Russia and have been fitted with new weaponry and other superior sensors and systems. (Remember these are Russian upgrades so any talk of capability enhancement must be taken with a pinch of salt.)