Project-75I class SSK Submarines

WolfPack86

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Govt issues formal tender for 6 submarines under strategic partnership model
Along pending project of the Indian Navy for building of indigenous submarines is finally set to kick off as the Ministry of Defence has issued Request for Proposal (RFP) for its mega submarine programme.




The RFP was issued to shortlisted Strategic Partners (SPs) or Indian Applicant Companies for the project M/s Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and M/s Larsen & Tubro (L&T). The project cost is over Rs 40,000 crore, the defence ministry said.

This is the first acquisition programme under the Strategic Partnership Model for construction of six Conventional Submarines named Project-75 (India).

Last month, the decision to issue the RFP was taken in a meeting of the defence acquisition council chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on June 4.

The project had got a clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) way back in 1999 and acceptance of necessity granted in 2007.

The project is part of the strategic partnership model under which the two Indian companies will work with a foreign company and subsequently offer their bids.

The shortlisted strategic partners to whom the RFP has been issued would be collaborating with any of the shortlisted foreign manufacturers — M/s Naval Group-France, M/s TKMS-Germany, M/s JSC ROE-Russia, M/s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co Ltd-South Korea and M/s Navantia-Spain.

“These five foreign firms are the world leaders in the field of conventional submarine design, construction and all other related technologies,” the defence ministry said.

The foreign manufacturers will enable Indian strategic partners for construction of submarines, achieving high levels of indigenisation and transfer of technology (ToT). They would enable setting up of dedicated manufacturing lines for these submarines in India by providing ToT for submarine design and other technologies and make India the global hub for submarine design and production.

The project would not only aid in boosting the core submarine or ship building industry but would also greatly enhance manufacturing or industrial sector, especially the MSME by development of an industrial eco-system for manufacture of associated spares, systems and equipment related to submarines.

In order to achieve these objectives, the RFP has key features such as mandatory level of indigenous manufacture of platforms, ToT for design, manufacture and maintenance of submarines and a few critical equipment and systems, setting up of an eco-system in India for such indigenisation and incentivisation for other key technologies.

The strategic partnership model aims at promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment, in addition to establishing an industrial and R&D eco-system capable of meeting the future requirements of the Armed Forces besides giving boost to exports.

“The overall aim would be to progressively build indigenous capabilities in the public-private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of the Armed Forces. This will be an important step towards meeting broader national objectives, encouraging self reliance and aligning the defence sector with the 'Make in India' initiative of the government,” the defence ministry said.

The Indian Navy currently has 12 submarines. In addition, there are two nuclear submarines INS Arihant and INS Chakra in the Indian Navy's fleet.

Upgrading its submarine operations and the naval fleet has been the top priority for the Indian Navy in wake of the increased presence of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean Region.

Under Project-75, another submarine programme, three of the six superior and advanced indigenous submarines based on the Scorpene-class category are now functional. These are INS Karanj, INS Kalvari and INS Khanderi.

While INS Vela is undergoing sea trials, INS Vagir was launched last year and the sixth one, INS Vagsheer, is under construction.
 

BON PLAN

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seems a potientially fierce contender !
already fitted with VLS.
 

lcafanboy

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Game Changer: AIP Submarine Has Fired A Ballistic Missile For The First Time


This is the strongest contender in my opinion....
 

Brood Father

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Game Changer: AIP Submarine Has Fired A Ballistic Missile For The First Time


This is the strongest contender in my opinion....
Are they offering this submarine to india
 

MonaLazy

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Why without the VLS ? I thought it was an indian requirement.
South Korea is offering DSME-3000, basically a KSS-III submarine minus the VLS cells.
This infographic seems to suggest the VLS is very much part of the offer:

Brahmos - Indian Navy Systems
South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) is offering the 'DSME-3000' for the Indian Navy's P-75I submarine program. This is essentially an export version of the KSS-III. The fact that KSS-III already has a VLS, which India requires for the Brahmos supersonic missile, must be seen as an advantage.
Would be rather funny if the South Koreans won the deal strictly on merit and fulfilling each and every one of the stringent RFP clauses while the others walked away because they did not have the tech, or were not willing to offer such deep ToT or wanted a G2G deal, esp the Russians themselves whose VLS missile this sub is based around.
 

MonaLazy

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Synopsis
If the German group does not change its stand, the mega project could be heading for a single foreign vendor situation with South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering as the only contender.

The Navy’s plan to build six conventional submarines in India for an estimated Rs 43,000 crore is heading for troubled waters, with one of the prime foreign technology partners saying that it may not proceed with the negotiations as it finds some of the tender requirements too restrictive.

If the German group does not change its stand, the mega project could be heading for a single foreign vendor situation with South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering as the only contender.

Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), which was considered as the frontrunner for the mega project, has raised concerns that some conditions are impossible to be fulfilled, including a high indigenous content percentage and almost unlimited liability on the foreign technology partner.

The Navy has been informed that the German company will not proceed in further engagement on the issue with Indian partners unless major changes are made in the tender conditions, a difficult scenario given the strict defence procurement rules.

As first reported by ET, the German company had emerged as the frontrunner after a condition was put in the tender for a sea-proven Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system –– a critical component that will enable these boats to remain submerged for over two weeks, as against the 2-3 days of underwater endurance of the current submarines.

This requirement for a sea-proven AIP had effectively removed three of the five shortlisted foreign vendors, leaving only Germany and South Korea in the fray. The other three –– Russia, France and Spain –– do have AIP technology but it is not fitted on a submarine where it can be demonstrated. AIP technology has been demonstrated by DRDO as well but is yet to be sea-proven, with estimates that it could take 4-5 years at the earliest.

The boats are to be built either by Mazagaon Dockyard Limited (MDL) or
Larsen and Toubro
(L&T), with the winner being decided on the basis of techno-commercial proposals drawn up in consultation with the foreign partner.

While TKMS did not respond to a request for comments by ET, sources said that among the concerns raised was the indigenisation content, which has been set at 45% for the first boat and 60% for the sixth boat. A major point also raised was that the current conditions impose an almost unlimited liability on the performance of the submarines on the foreign collaborator, though the boats are to be built at an Indian yard. The Rs 43,000 crore budget too has been flagged as too low.

The German group is the second global contender after Sweden’s Saab Group that has expressed reservations on participating. The Swedish group pulled out earlier after a draft note on technical requirements was shared, with sources saying that its engineers and executives found the conditions impossible to achieve.

Given the technical requirements of the project –– India wants high technology transfer as well as rights to use the knowhow for future, indigenous projects –– foreign vendors with legacy contracts have suggested that the best way forward would be through a government to government deal. The Russian side, in particular, had even written to the defence ministry in 2018, suggesting that the only way to ensure such deep tech transfer would be through an inter-governmental agreement.
 

Gessler

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Australia has changed. Why shouldn't India?

The way I see it, barely any further time lost, right?
In what way?

If you mean in terms of nuclear subs - the Indian Navy already has an extensive N-sub program, 3 different programs in fact (Arihant-class SSBN, S-5 SSBN & P-75A SSN).

If you are implying India should substitute its diesel/AIP sub programs with SSNs for a fully-nuclear fleet like US, UK & France (and now Australia), for various reasons that's not gonna happen. Mainly to do with shallow water defensive needs & the benefits of a high-low mix for a Navy that faces enemies both at close range AND wants to patrol the blue waters.
 

Maharaj samudragupt

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With the unprecedent sale of SSN in Australia that breaks the rules, I see a potential deal of French SSN Baraccuda to India.
P75I may become P75I-N : Indian-Nuclear....
Yes it may be , then probably india will cancel its own ssn programme
 

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