krishna_krishna wrote:Vidur Sir, two questions IN is really short on submarines with Scorpene leak fiasco and other submarines hard to come by why urgent buy of kilo submarine is not envisioned, what is your thought on getting the sub number up ?
Not Vidur Sir, but the Scorpene program was moving painfully slow...but is now picking up. See below.
* INS Kalvari was laid down on 01 April 2009 and was commissioned on 14 December 2017. That is a time span of nearly 9 years.
* INS Khanderi was laid down in Oct 2011 and was commissioned on 28 September 2019. That is almost 8 years.
* The Karanj was laid down in Dec 2012 and is expected to be commissioned in Dec 2020. That will be 6 years.
A number of reasons for the delay, but the program is finally picking up pace. The irony is that when this deal was signed in Oct 2005, it was expected that all six boats would be in service by 2012. We are now 8 years over schedule and the sixth and final boat will arrive only by 2022.
It is for this VERY reason that not a single Project 75I vessel will join the Indian Navy by 2030. If a 1,600+ ton SSK program is ten years over schedule, imagine what a far more complicated and state-of-the-art build program - like the Project 75I - will take. We are only in RFI stage of Project 75I. And by 2030, the Indian Navy will have a mere 6 Kalvari Class boats in service, against a projected minimum of 18 SSKs.
The Scorpene line is still active and Naval Group has reportedly offered 3 more Scorpenes. But once that line is closed, to restart it will be more expensive. Best to follow through NOW (prior to 2021 end), if the Navy wants additional Scorpenes.
Please MoD...do not do redux of C-17 acquisition model.