New Delhi: The Navy expects to sign the contract for acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft and three additional Scorpène-class submarines by the end of next month at the earliest, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said Monday.
Putting a timeline on the contract signing for both, he said the Navy was at a “very advanced stage of the acquisition process”.
On Rafale M, which India is acquiring from France, he said it was “one level short of taking it [contract] to the CCS [Cabinet Committee on Security] for clearance and thereafter [will be] followed by contract-signing”.
“It is a government-to-government deal and hence I expect it to happen fast,” he added.
Responding to a query at a press meet ahead of Navy Day in the capital, Admiral Tripathi said the deal for three Scorpène submarine was also at a very advanced stage of acquisition process. “It is just a matter of completing the formalities of the acquisition process and we expect that if not this month, next month, hopefully, this [Scorpène submarines] and Rafale M [aircraft] deals should be signed,” he added.
The three new submarines are being built by Mazagon Dock Shipyard in Mumbai, in partnership with France’s Naval Group. India already has five of these submarines in service and the sixth is expected to be commissioned soon.
While the Scorpène deal is a commercial contract, the one for 26 Rafale Marine aircraft will be an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA).
The three additional submarines will boost the Navy’s underwater capabilities, given that the P75 (I) programme—under which six conventional submarines are to be built with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems—is delayed and in the works.
On whether there has been any progress on the acquisition of the second indigenous aircraft carrier, the Navy chief said it was “work in progress”.
He further spoke about the defence ministry’s contract signed two days ago with state-run Cochin Shipyard for short refit and dry docking of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. “It will take four months for the refit to happen—December to April,” he said.
He explained that since the aircraft carrier did not go to dry dock even once in the past five years, it was in need of several underwater repairs, deep-sea seals and major equipment had to undergo routine maintenance.
On the general preparedness level of the Navy and the measures it was taking towards becoming a stronger force, the Navy chief said, “Whatever happens in the future, we don’t want to be surprised. We want to be in a position to respond to those events.”
He added that the Navy wanted to ensure that the force’s capability enhancement was in tune with the nation, and that it remained on top of maritime domain awareness because it is the starting point.
He also asserted that the Navy was trying to fill gaps wherever they existed.
Speaking on Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance), Admiral Tripathi said the naval force remained committed to becoming an Aatmanirbhar Navy by 2047. Giving the numbers, he added that 62 ships and 10 submarines were being constructed at various Indian shipyards.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)