Project 75 I

Project 75 I is once more in the news as INS Khanderi, Indian Navy’s second scorpene submarine under the project was commissioned. However, it is being delivered more than six years late, well over cost and with several defects that remain to be resolved.

About Project 75 I

• “Project-75 India (P-75I)” is a submarine project approved by the defence ministry in 2007. 
• Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel-electric submarines.
• French Company DCNS (Naval Group) will provide design and technology to public sector Mazagon Docks to make six Scorpene diesel submarines by 2022.
• These will feature advanced air-independent propulsion systems to enable them to stay submerged for longer duration and substantially increase their operational range.
• They will be capable of anti-surface and anti-ship warfare missions equipped with a vertical launch system (VLS) to enable them to carry multiple Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles.
• They also have advanced stealth capabilities like noise and acoustic suppression.
• It is a follow-on of the Project 75 Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy.
• The submarines are being constructed under the Strategic Partnership (SP) model that aims at providing a significant fillip to the ‘Make in India’ programme.

Strategic Partnership (SP) model

• This model envisages indigenous manufacturing of major defence platforms by an Indian Strategic Partner, who will collaborate with foreign manufacturers to set up production facilities in the country.
• In the long term, it seeks to make India a manufacturing hub for defence equipment through the transfer of niche technologies and higher Indigenous Content.

Issues

Cost-overruns

• Due to various factors and delays, the budget of the submarines has shot up. The submarines cost way higher than their original approved cost.

Delays

• Several bureaucratic and political delays have led to the slowpoke construction of the submarines. INS Khanderi is 6 years late.

Unresolved defects and shortcomings

• There are several short-comings and defects which remain unresolved in the submarines. 
• INS Khanderi is said to have nearly 30 defects unresolved. For example, INS Khanderi has not been commissioned with a full complement of its primary weapon, the torpedo.

Leaking of vital documents

An Australian newspaper in 2016, released a set of documents, which it claimed would compromise vital designs and stealth capabilities of the Scorpene-class submarines being built for Indian Navy by the French Company.

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