New Delhi: The Indian Navy plans to commission its first fully indigenously designed nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) by 2036-37 and the second one in about two years from then, Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said Monday.
Briefing the media ahead of the Navy Day in the national capital, he said that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has given approval to the first two SSNs.
This is the first time when any government official has spoken on the subject in public.
Giving details, he said that the 30-year-old submarine building programme has been tweaked.
According to the plan fixed in 1999, India was to induct 24 conventional submarines by 2030. However, only five have been inducted while the sixth Scorpene submarine is slated for commissioning soon under Project 75.
The plan for building the next six conventional submarines with the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system under Project 75 (India) is yet to be contracted for and will take time. The experience from the P75(I) programme was to be used in Project 76 under which 12 totally indigenous submarines were to be built
Under the Modi government, the late defence minister Manohar Parrikar had decided to convert six of the 12 submarines into nuclear attack submarines that will remain with the Indian Navy and will be part of the naval budget.
While India has a separate programme for nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), their funding is through a separate system and they operate under the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
Giving details of the six SSNs, Admiral Tripathi said that the CCS has given approval for two nuclear attack submarines.
“As per our in-house capabilities, we feel that 2036-37 is a very realistic time frame for the first one to be inducted and may be a couple of years for the second one,” he said.
He underlined that the submarine design would be done indigenously and that the government approval was a vote of confidence for the Navy and the domestic industry.
Talking about INS Arighaat, the second SSBN inducted in August, the Navy chief said it is undergoing trials right now.
Scorpene sub, Rafale M deal by next month
Regarding the submarine programme, Admiral Tripathi said that the deal for three additional Scorpene submarines is to be signed next month.
Incidentally, the reason why additional Scorpene submarines will be signed is because the P75(I) programme has been delayed.
He also said that the deal for 26 Rafale Marine fighters will also be inked next month.
The Navy chief said that 62 ships and a submarine are currently under construction within the country as part of efforts to boost its naval power. A large number of platforms are waiting for induction in the next one year and at least one ship will be inducted into the Navy every month, he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)