SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The refusal of France, Russia, and Sweden to take part in Project 75 India (P75I) has meant that only Germany and South Korea offered submarines with proven air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems remain only contenders as Spanish offer of its S-80 Plus submarine hangs in balance since the submarine is yet to demonstrate its AIP system.
S-83, the third submarine to be delivered in 2026 and likely to be launched in 2024 is only the first submarine that will be equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems. first submersible S-81 and S-82 are not to be equipped with the AIP system which means, Spanish offers hang in balance till the technology is proven before tender bids are opened.
Defence Ministry recently cleared key changes in the tender document to allay fears of foreign firms, especially in the context of liability but the German company is still seeking more clarity in the strategic partnership agreements that foreign OEM has to transfer some of the key technologies including a timeline for the execution of the program.
Russian OEMs last week publicly spoke out against P75I saying that “drastic changes” were needed in the tender for the project for the program to come through, till then it won’t be bidding on the program. Indian Navy already has extended the date of submission of the bid till the end of this year from June but many foreign OEMs are still not onboard.
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