In News: Government has recently issued a Request for Proposal (RPF) to the two selected Indian Strategic Partners (SP) – MDL and L&T for building six conventional submarines indigenously under the Project 75 India or P-75I.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued Request of Proposal (RFP) for the first acquisition programme under the Strategic Partnership Model for construction of six conventional submarines under Project 75 (India) for the Indian Navy.
The two Indian selected companies are Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), who will have to bid for the project in partnership with one each of the five foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).
The project is worth Rs 43,000 crore and will be the first, across services, under the strategic partnership model, which was promulgated in 2017 to boost indigenous defence manufacturing.
The selected SPsMDL and L&T can collaborate with any of the five shortlisted OEMs, which include Naval Group of France, TKMS of Germany, JSC ROE from Russia, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co Ltd of South Korea and Navantia from Spain.
These five foreign firms are the world leaders in the field of conventional submarine design, construction and all other related technologies.
The foreign OEMs will be the technology partner in the SP Model and will enable SP for construction of submarines (setting up of dedicated manufacturing lines), achieving high levels of indigenization, and (Transfer of Technology) for various technologies and make India the global hub for submarine design and production.
the RFP has key features like mandatory level of indigenous manufacture of platforms, ToT for design, manufacture, maintenance of submarines and a few critical equipment and systems, setting up of an eco-system in India for such indigenization and incentivization for other key technologies, and so on.
The overall aim would be to progressively build indigenous capabilities in the public and private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of the Armed Forces.
Project 75 India
Project 75 India (P75I) is a project that envisaged the construction of six conventional submarines with better sensors and weapons and the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP).
P75I was first cleared in 2007, but lay dormant until now after undergoing numerous changes.
The P75I project is part of a 30-year submarine building plan that ends in 2030. As part of this plan, India was to build 24 submarines — 18 conventional submarines and six nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) — as an effective deterrent against China and Pakistan.
Of the 14 conventional submarines India currently possesses, including the Scorpene, only half are operational at any given point of time.
India also has two nuclear-powered submarines — INS Arihant (SSBN, a ballistic missile submarine) and INS Chakra (SSN, a nuclear-powered one) leased from Russia.
India’s current arsenal consists of 14 conventional submarines and two nuclear-powered submarines.
Under the strategic partnership model, an Indian shipyard will be selected by the government, which will also nominate the foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) under the overall arch of ‘Make in India’.
This would provide a major boost to the indigenous design and construction capability of submarines in India, in addition to bringing in the latest submarine design and technologies as part of the project.
Significance of the project
The project will 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 project would not only aid in boosting the core submarine and ship building industry but would also greatly enhance the manufacturing and industrial sector, especially the MSME by development of an industrial eco-system for manufacture of associated spares, systems and equipment related to submarines.
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