Turbulence Ahead|June 2023

Smruti Deshpande

May marked the beginning of sea trials of the sixth submarine and the last of the French Scorpène or Kalvari-class submarines, Vagsheer. The boat is expected to be inducted into the Indian Navy by early 2024 once the sea trials are completed. The aim is to enhance India’s prowess in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), an area which is increasing seeing Chinese forays.

The 6th of the Kalvari class, Vaghsheer starts sea trials

Project-75 or the P75 include indigenous construction of six submarines at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai in collaboration with the Naval Group of France. Five of the Kalvari class of submarines have already been commissioned into the Indian Navy.

Interestingly, another programme, Project-75 India (P75-I), which was approved in 1999 along with the P75 programme, has not yet seen light of the day despite it having been resurrected multiple times in the past. This project envisages indigenous construction of six ‘hunter-killer’ diesel-electric conventional submarines (including associated shore support, engineering support package, training and spares package) with contemporary equipment, weapons and sensors including fuel-cell based AIP (Air Independent Propulsion Plant), advanced torpedoes, modern missiles and state of the art countermeasure systems.

The Hindustan Times reported in January 2023 that the Indian Navy would ‘bury fresh acquisition under Project-75I and may go for a repeat Project 75 order to MDL with the DRDO-proven and tested air independent propulsion system fitted into the new submarines under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.’

This came after the ministry of defence (MoD) issued a request for proposal (RFP) for the first acquisition programme under the Strategic Partnership Model for construction of six AIP fitted conventional submarines named Project 75 (India) for the Indian Navy on 20 July 2021.

Project-75I will be the first project under the Strategic Partnership Model. The provision of the SP model outlined to the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 (DAP-2020) were first included in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP-2016). The objective behind such a model is to spur indigenous production of defence equipment by encouraging private sec