The Indian
Navy is slated to commission the stealthiest diesel-electric attack submarine,
the INS Kalvari, this month, currently undergoing the final stages of sea
trials. Marking a significant milestone, the commissioning of the Scorpene
submarine will, however, be sans its earlier primary weapon system, the Black
Shark torpedoes.
The torpedoes were to be mounted
on the six Scorpene submarines produced at Mazagon Dock Ltd.
Last June, the Defence Ministry
had deferred a $200-million deal for the Black Shark heavyweight torpedos,
built by Whitehead Alenia System Subacquei (WASS), a subsidiary of Italian
arms manufacturer Finmeccanica, due to corruption allegations involving another
Finmeccanica subsidiary, Agusta Westland.
“Though WASS bagged the global
tender in 2014 to supply the torpedoes over Atlas Elektronik of Germany, the
probe into the VVIP helicopters scam relating to AgustaWestland led to the
government putting a ban on signing any fresh contract with the company,” said
an industry source, with knowledge of the deal.
Though the German made SeaHake
heavyweight torpedo and France’s F21 Artemis were pointed out as alternatives
to the Black Shark torpedo, “there has been no contract with either parties for
the supply of the torpedo,” the source pointed out, adding that the main
armament of submarines are their missiles and torpedoes which are launched
stealthily from underwater for land and surface targets.
Incidentally, INS Kalvari has
undergone prolonged weapons trials this year, including the test firing of “a
German SeaHake torpedo and the launch of a French-made Exocet SM39 anti-ship
missile”.
Source :- Business Line
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