After reaching the six-month delay mark, the Indian Navy’s so-called Project 75 has celebrated the selection of the design that will become the force’s new AIP attack submarine, namely the German-origin Type 214. In this way, Berlin’s candidate prevailed over the Spanish S-80 model, paving the way for negotiations toward a contract worth more than 70,000 crore rupees in exchange for half a dozen units.
Expanding in detail, officials from India’s Ministry of Defence told local media that the executive has already issued authorization for state-owned Mazagon Dockyards Limited to move forward with a formal agreement with the German counterpart. In particular, the first contacts with manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems are expected to take place in the coming days, with the aim of securing a contract within six months.
The decision was made by a commission of Indian defense and national security officials, which conducted an extensive review of the Navy’s current capabilities and future requirements, including the institution’s plans to move forward with the replacement of its Sindhughosh-class fleet; the local designation for the Russian-origin Kilo class, incorporated during the 1980s. In concrete numbers, India once operated about 10 submarines of that class.
On the other hand, it should be noted that, as with other programs driven by India’s defense portfolio, the selection of the Type 214 has given great weight to the possibilities of industrial cooperation between the manufacturer and local companies in order to strengthen indigenous capabilities. In this regard, it is useful to recall that New Delhi already had ties with the German firm TKMS (through the former Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft shipyards, now part of it), considering that in the past it was selected to supply the Shishumar-class submarines, which were Type 209 models.
Finally, it is worth remembering that, within the framework of its efforts to renew its submarine capabilities, the Indian Navy is also working in parallel with Larsen & Toubro and the Submarine Design Bureau to obtain at least two nuclear-powered attack submarines. As has been reported in previous analyses, this responds not only to the need to modernize as a force, but also to the constant advance of Chinese naval capabilities and their consequent impact on Pakistan’s fleets — New Delhi’s two main concerns in the region.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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