Project 75 / Scorpene
Under the Project 75 program, the MoD approved construction of two types of new-generation submarines in 1997. And in 1999 negotiations for the Scorpene submarines began with Thomson-CSF, which later became Thales, and which by 2005 jointly owned Amaris with French shipyard DCN.
The Scorpene is a conventional submarine with classical diesel propulsion. It is 219 feet long and has a speed of over 20 knots for a displacement of 1,700 tonnes. With 31 men on board it can remain at sea for about 50 days and can dive to a depth of more than a thousand feet.
In November 2002 the Government approved a long term perspective plan for indigenous construction of submarines and acquisition of national competence in submarine building. Project 75 is part of this plan. Mazagon Docks Limited, Mumbai was identified as the yard to ultimately construct French designed Scorpene Submarines on successful completion of negotiations with the French Company. However, no final decision on the proposal had been taken.
In April 2003 French Defence Minister Michele Alliot Marie Monday pledged stronger military ties with India at the end of talks with Indian leaders focussed on the supply of submarines and fighter jets. The possible sale to India of six French designed Scorpene submarines as well as Mirage fighter planes came up in the talks. If the deal had been signed in 2003, the first Indian built Scorpene would have been ready in 2010 and the sixth in 2016. However India was pressing Paris to stop the sales of French weapons to Pakistan before clinching the Scorpene deal.
France’s naval construction company DCN was to sign a contract in September 2005 to supply India with six Scorpene type submarines. Defence electronics group Thales, prime contractor for the system, had signed an agreement with the Bombay-based naval shipyard Mazagon Dock for a transfer of technology so that the subs could be built there.
The Indian Ministry of Defence, under pressure from the Indian Navy and facing an ultimatum from the French government, agreed to buy the six Scorpene submarines for $4.6 billion — $1.4 billion more than the price tag negotiated in 2002. The increased cost was blamed on the prolonged negotiations that invalidated the $3.2 billion price tag agreed in 2002.
In September 2005 President Jacques Chirac confirmed an order from India for six Franco-Spanish Scorpene submarines as he received visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Elysee palace. The Scorpene order is valued at 2.4 bln eur. The deal had been in the works for several years. The Scorpene submarines are built by France's DCN shipyards and Spain's Izar.
It will add to fleet strength which is projected to rise to 24 from the current 16.
