Project 75 India, the next big boat buy

With several orders for warships on course and the Scorpene submarine production programme to launch its first in 2013, the Indian Navy's next big boat buy will be the highly anticipated Project 75 India-for six new diesel-electric attack submarines. India announced P75I in 2008 to procure six air-independent propulsion equipped submarines with a high degree of stealth and land-attack capability. The effort is expected to get off the mark this year with the floating of a tender. Apart from DCNS and the Scorpene, potential contenders for the $11-billion deal include Russia's Rubin for the Amur 1650, Navantia for the S-80 and HDW for the Class-214. DCNS, which is already steeped in the Indian licence build programme will be hoping it is a lead contender for the contract. At the centre of the focus, the Indian P75 Scorpene submarine will be displayed, together with its SUBTICS combat system and its optional MESMA air-independent propulsion section.

“Defexpo is a very important platform for DCNS to showcase the services we can provide to our customers through genuine transfer of technology. We have a deep industrial expertise, from the design to the in-service support,” says Bernard Buisson, Managing Director of DCNS India. “We remain fully committed to bring to the Indian Government and our partners our innovative and proven technologies.”

The final configuration of manufacture includes two at the OEM shipyard and four split between two shipyards in India, one private. The Navy has stipulated that it is looking for a complete modern conventional submarine which is currently in service/undergoing sea trials. The submarine should be capable of operating in open ocean and littoral/shallow waters in dense ASW and EW environments and capable of undertaking the following missions: anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, supporting operations ashore, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and special operations and mining operations.