Indecisiveness by
India's Ministry of Defense over fitting torpedoes in its six Scorpene class
submarines has left the Navy with only an interim solution.
Five years after the purchase plan was finalized, Indian Navy
may have to use torpedoes which being used in its older submarines as an
interim solution for the two French-origin submarines Kalvari and Khanderi.
Both submarines may be operationalized this year without its primary weapon.
"There will be some alternate torpedoes as an interim
solution. The heavyweight torpedoes will take some time. Those which are
already in use in other platform will be used in these (Kalvari class)
submarines," said a senior Navy official. German SUT torpedo is currently
used in Indian Navy's HDW Shishumar-class diesel-electric submarines. French
F-21 is also in the contest for supplying torpedoes to Scorpene class
submarines. Sources told Sputnik that the selection of new heavyweight
torpedoes will take another four to five years.
India's Defense Ministry had put on hold a $200 Million deal
of 98 Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes from Italian firm WASS for its Scorpene
class submarines. The deal was scrapped in the wake of corruption charges
involving AgustaWestland and an Indian political party. WASS and AgustaWestland
are subsidiaries of Italian firm Leonardo. Black Shark Torpedoes was to be an
essential part and primary weapon of India's six new Scorpene submarines.
India is building six Scorpene class submarines at cost of $
3.5 billion under Project 75 which is already delayed by four years.
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