Navy awaiting defence procurement on sub project

The Navy on Friday said it is waiting for the new Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) to roll out before proceeding on the much delayed project to build India’s next six conventional submarines, worth nearly Rs 60,000 crore. The Navy also hoped that its Scorpene submarine, the first of which will go in for trials this year, will get its main weapon, the heavyweight torpedo, before it is declared combat ready.

“We are waiting for the new DPP,” Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral P Murugesan, told reporters here replying to a question about progress in the submarine project.

He said certain prepatory work was on for the submarine project, P-75I, and once the DPP is announced work will start.

The DPP has been in the works for over a year and is expected to be rolled out soon.

Noting that the Navy is ready to work with the private industry, Murugesan said the force has made it mandatory for the selected shipyards to do 46 per cent outsourcing in the P17A project of building new frigates.

Asked if there has been any forward movement in the Navy's plan to acquire heavy torpedos for the Scorpenes, he said the first sub will go in for trials this year.

“Since it is the first submarine of its class, the trials will go on for about a year. We hope to get it before the submarine is declared combat ready,” he said, adding that the Navy is "concerned" and the government is seized of the matter.

The Navy plans to buy Black Shark torpedoes for Scorpene submarines, under construction at a yard in Mumbai, from Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS), a subsidiary of Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica which is embroiled in a scam.