Multiple 'Plan B' Options For Growing India's Submarine Fleet

The delay in formulating guidelines for selecting and working with a Strategic Partner under the Defence Procurement Policy has frustrated the Indian Navy’s desire to augment its submarine fleet, to meet the emerging threat scenario. The good news is that the MoD has other options for procuring submarines - government to government contract, or an additional order on Mazagon Docks for AIP equipped Scorpenes

It has been two years since India's Ministry of Defence accepted the necessity for a new generation conventional submarine for the Navy to boost its fast depleting fleet. And at this stage, the government is yet to decide how it wants to fill the gaps and stem the depletion of the submarines fleet. The government currently has three possible means by which it can immediately order the construction of more submarines, to add to the already under-construction Scorpene submarines at the Mazagon Docks in Mumbai.

The first option is to go in for the construction of the planned six new generation submarines under Project 75I that's awaiting approval for tenders over the last two years. The second option, which we call as Plan B, is to get the Mazagon Docks to build at least three more Scorpene submarines, to augment the existing on-order fleet of six Scorpenes. The third option is to go in for a submarine from a foreign nation through a government-togovernment deal.

This much was admitted by the Indian Navy's Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition Vice Admiral D. M. Deshpande at an industry interaction held in New Delhi on April 19. He had then said that key purchases of the armed forces, including the vital procurement of six new submarines, were floundering due to delays in the Ministry of Defence finalising the new reform in defence acquisition.