Centre approves Rs 50,000-crore project to build six submarines

A mega submarine project worth Rs 50,000 crore has been approved by the defence ministry. The Centre gave its final approval to build six stealth submarines for Indian Navy under Project-75 India. The government issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) to two Indian companies that can work in collaboration with a foreign manufacturer.

Mazagon Docks (MDL) and private ship-builder Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have received the RFP. The companies will work in a strategic partnership model where both MDL and L&T will tie up with one of the five selected foreign shipyards to submit their bids.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh gave the clearance for the RFP during a meeting on Friday.

The strategic partnership aims to promote India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment along with establishing an R&D ecosystem for defence requirements.

PROJECT-75 INDIA

Under the project, the Indian Navy wants to build six conventional diesel-electric submarines, bigger than the under-construction Scorpene-class submarines that are currently being built at MDL.

The submarines would be equipped with heavy-duty firepower. They would have at least 12 Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) along with Anti-Ship cruise missiles (ASCM). The Navy has also specified that the submarines should be able to carry and launch 18 heavyweight torpedoes, sources informed India Today TV.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had cleared the project way back in 1999, but the acceptance of necessity was granted in 2007.

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