India plans 9 new conventional submarines instead of 6 as govt ramps up underwater capabilities

New Delhi: India is planning to acquire nine new conventional diesel-electric submarines, instead of six, in the first phase of a broader effort to ramp up its underwater capabilities over the next two decades, ThePrint has learnt.

Sources in the defence and security establishment said the government has decided that the six submarines being acquired under Project 75(I) will be followed by an order for three additional ones, the make of which is yet to be decided.This will take the total planned acquisition under the first phase to nine submarines. This will be followed by the second phase—Project 76—under which at least six more conventional submarines will be built with Indian design and high indigenisation content.

The move comes as India seeks to address a shrinking conventional submarine fleet over the next two decades, given the scale at which Pakistan is ramping up its submarine strength along with China.China, which currently operates an estimated 65 submarines, has outpaced even US’ submarine-building programme.The Indian government is of the view that more submarines are needed since several of the 19 in operation with the Navy will be decommissioned late 2030s onwards.The contract modalities for Project 75(I) are being finalised and it will be inked later this year if all goes well.Under the programme, six conventional submarines equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems will be built by state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in collaboration with German shipbuilder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) under a transfer of technology and transfer of design protocol.The contract will include both a commercial contract between the Union Ministry of Defence, MDL and TKMS besides a government-to-government arrangement between India and Germany.Once the contract is signed, the government is expected to move ahead with plans to acquire three more conventional submarines.However, a final decision has not been taken on whether the additional boats will be a follow on of the MDL-TKMS boats or the MDL-Naval Group’s Scorpene.