New Delhi: India’s much-awaited decision on Project 75 (India) or P75 (I), under which six new submarines are to be built, will be one of the key focus areas when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez make back-to-back visits to the country later this month.
Scholz will be the first to arrive, landing in New Delhi on 25 October with a large delegation that will include Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius.
While Scholz will leave the next day following bilateral and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Spanish prime minister will land on 27 October for a three-day visit, sources in the know told ThePrint.
Both countries are in contention for the Indian Navy’s mega contract to build six new conventional submarines with an air independent propulsion (AIP) system.
While German firm TKMS has tied up with Indian state-run shipyard Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Spanish firm Navantia has tied up with private firm L&T.
Speaking to ThePrint, German envoy to India Philip Ackermann has said that defence and military strategy will be “on the table” for the discussions.
Both countries are seeking a deeper cooperation with India across fields and see the submarine contract as a key stepping stone for a strategic partnership.
It is understood that both Spain and Germany are looking at a government-to-government deal for the submarine project.
TKMS was initially not interested in bidding for the submarine project because of its heavy order books, the uncertainty of the Indian procurement system and certain contract obligations. However, the firm relented after a nudge from the German government.
As reported by ThePrint, both TKMS and Navantia are awaiting a decision by the Navy, which has completed a field evaluation trial (FET) of the critical AIP system.
Navantia showcased its AIP using a mix of land and onboard systems for the FET, but it is up to the Navy to decide if it considers this proven, even though the system has undergone over 50,000 hours of testing and has been selected by the Spanish Navy. The first submarine fitted with it will be out in 2026.
The AIP showcased by TKMS was smaller than the Navy wanted. This is because the AIP is fitted on board the Type 214 submarines, which are smaller than the ones required by the Navy and hence need a smaller pack of the AIP system.
(Edited by Rohan Manoj)