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French offer boosts Indian submarine plan

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Assistance from France and Russia is expected to give the much-needed boost to the Indian Navy's submarine development plans, which is lagging behind schedule.

Pakistan has already earned a strategic edge with the induction of an Agosta (however, French authorities have impounded a submarine sent by Pakistan for upgradation) class French submarine into its naval fleet, and new challenges are already surfacing in the Indian Ocean with China's interests in the region.

According to sources, France has offered to assist India in developing a standard submarine for the Indian Navy. 'Project 75' for developing the new submarine may pick up tempo if the Indian Navy accepts the French offer. But no final decision has yet been taken, sources said.

Russia is already assisting the Indian Navy in upgrading the Kilo class submarines, which will include the mounting of KLUB missiles. The navy presently has nine Kilo class submarines, and the 10th one is expected to join the fleet by the end of the year.

One of the Kilo class submarines has almost completed its two-year refit, and a tube-fired missile is part of the upgradation. Sources said the submarine will have a powerful sonar, a modern weapons suite including missiles, improved and more efficient engines.

Another Kilo class submarine, INS Sindhuratna will leave for St. Petersburg, Russia in March 2000 for its refit, and is expected to be mounted with KLUB missiles. The upgradation of INS Sindhugosh, which started in 1997, is yet to be completed.

The French offer to assist in Project 75 is being seen by strategists as a welcome step which can speed up the project. The project is expected to yield a conventional submarine. The plan is to have 12 such submarines, and the government has already approved the construction of two.

Naval sources said the submarine would be an indigenously designed version of the Type 209 diesel-electrical submarines with a tube-launched missile capability. The latest technological developments in France including those in sonar, engines and missiles could be incorporated, sources said.

The French assistance would also help the navy's plan to set up a second submarine construction facility on the west coast.

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