New Delhi: India has once again recalled the boat to increase the underwriting patience of its latest Scorpin or Kalwari-Class traditional submarines, already not ready for integration with ships developed by DRDO with already delayed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system.The first Scorpin submarine to be produced in Mezagon Dock (MDL) with French cooperation, Ins Kalwari, which was commissioned in December 2017, will now fulfill its ongoing maintenance at the Mumbai Naval Docyard without retrofiting with AIP plugs, as is originally planned, the sources of the Ministry of Defense told Toy.“Fuel-based AIP system developed by DRDO’s naval content research laboratory, in which L&T Prime Industry is still not operated operating. Hopefully, it should be prepared by a time when the second Scorpine (Ins Khandei) comes in mid -2026 for its prescribed normal maintenance, “a source said.Following a long delay, the Navy has included six diesel -electric Scorpene submarines, which has been constructed by MDL for more than Rs 23,000 crore in collaboration with the French Naval Group under Project -75, commissioned in January this year.The main concern about the continuous delay in the indigenous AIP project, which was originally slapped to be completed by June 2017, was approved in 2014 at an initial cost of Rs 270 crore.Between the delay, MDL and Naval Group signed an agreement on Scorpanes only on 23 July for the integration of indigenous AIP Energy System Plug. Under this, each submarine will undergo a complex project, called “jamboization”, which includes accurate cuttings of HIP, again to ensure that the vessel is to be operated.Unlike nuclear-managed submarines, which are endangered under unlimited water, diesel-electric boats must have a surface or snorkel every two days to obtain oxygen to recharge their battery. However, those fitted with AIP may remain immersed for about two weeks to increase their secret and fighter capabilities.To include eight yuan or hanger-class traditional submarines in a major capacity jump with Pakistan with AIP from China, India’s traditional underwater fighter arms have become a major concern. China, of course, is now the world’s largest Navy, which includes more than 50 diesel-electric and 10 nuclear submarines.In addition to six French-origin Scorpanese, India currently have seven very old Russian kilos and four German HDW diesel-electric submarines. It also has two operating SSBN (equipped with nuclear ballistic missiles on nuclear-driven submarines) INS Arihant and INS Arghat, the third was commissioned as INS Aridhman this year, as reported by TOI earlier.38,000 crore rupees and long pending projects to make three additional Scorpanes for six new generation diesel-electrical submarines, with AIP and Land-Atac cruise missiles, for Rs 70,000 crore under Project-75-India in MDL, are still not final and ink.
