In a major push to the 'Make in India' initiative, a mega submarine project worth Rs 50,000 crore to build six stealth submarines under Project-75 India for the Indian Navy received the final clearance as the defence ministry issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) to two Indian companies that can work in collaboration with a foreign manufacturer.
The RFP has been issued to Mazagon Docks (MDL) and private ship-builder Larsen & Toubro (L&T). This is under the two strategic partnership model where Indian strategic partners (SPs) -- MDL and L&T -- will tie up with one of the five selected foreign shipyards to submit their technical and financial bids.
The clearance for the request for proposal (RFP) was given in a meeting of the defence acquisition council chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.
Under Project 75-India, the Navy wants to build six conventional diesel-electric submarines that would be bigger than the under-construction Scorpene-class submarines being built at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai.
As per the requirements stated by the maritime force, the submarines would be equipped with heavy-duty firepower so that the boats will have at least 12 Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) along with Anti-Ship cruise missiles (ASCM).Sources have told India news agency that the Navy has also specified that the submarines should also be able to carry and launch 18 heavyweight torpedoes in the sea. Compared with the Scorpene, the firepower required in the next line of submarines is manifold.
The project got a clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) way back in 1999 and the acceptance of necessity was granted in 2007. The Indian Navy has 12 submarines. In addition, there are two nuclear submarines, INS Arihant and INS Chakra, in the Navy's fleet.
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