Navy to acquire subs, frigates for 1 billion

NEW DELHI, Jan 17: In the biggest military contract of 1997, the Ministry of Defence MoD has signed an agreement to purchase three frigate...

NEW DELHI, Jan 17: In the biggest military contract of 1997, the Ministry of Defence MoD has signed an agreement to purchase three frigates and two submarines from the Russian republic. Worth more than a billion dollars, the deal was sealed in November, details of which are only now beginning to emerge.

India has contracted for three Project 1135 series frigates, and two Type 877 EKM Kilo class submarines. While the frigate deal is worth 931.5 million Rs 3,540 crore, the submarines are expected to cost around 190 million Rs 700 crore. The negotiations for the submarines had been on for some years but both deals were signed on November 17, 1997.

While the submarines have been procured to keep pace with the rapid expansion of sub-surface vessels in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, the purchase of frigates is largely to prevent the further dilution of the Navy8217;s principal combatants. An absence of substantial orders in the last decade has been the cause of serious worries about an aging Naval fleet, say MoD sources.

The swelling Pakistan Navy8217;s submarine fleet with its purchase of the French Agosta class submarines, and an increase in the presence of China8217;s People8217;s Liberation Army PLA Navy in the Bay of Bengal forced India8217;s hand.

Especially when the domestic manufacturing programme was mired in political controversy on account of the scandal surrounding the HDW Type 1500 purchases, say MoD sources. 8220;We have not added to our orders for a long time8221;, declared an official. The dockyards are idle for want of submarine manufacturing contracts, he added.

The Navy already has eight Type 877 EKM Kilo class submarines, and the two new vessels are meant to take over from the phased decommissioning of the older Foxtrot class submarine. The Project 1135 class frigates are designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare and air defence AD of warship task forces. With a maximum displacement of around 3,500 tons and sea-going endurance of 30 days, the Project 1135 has a mix of AD and anti-submarineweapons. This includes four torpedo tubes, depth charge rockets and the Osa-M AD missile system. The later versions even have on-board helicopters.

While the deliveries of the two Kilo class submarines have already commenced, the Project 1135 series frigates are expected to be commissioned between 2002 and 2004, say Naval sources.