NEW DELHI: The Indian defense ministry is now looking towards Germany to buy torpedoes for its six under-construction Scorpene submarines.
Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar is on a three-day visit to Germany where he will be exploring the option of getting Seahake torpedoes for the submarines.
While the official purpose of Defence Secretary’s visit is to attend the decade-old annual India-German Higher Defence Committee Meeting, he will also be visiting German defence firm, ThyssenKrup’s manufacturing unit at Kiel. Seahake torpedoes are made by Atlas Electronik, a joint venture between ThyssenKrup and EADS. Atlast Electronik had participated in the Defence Expo at Goain March this year, Indian Express reported Tuesday.
Last month, defence ministry had withdrawn the tender for purchasing 98 Black Shark torpedoes for Scorpene submarines, which Whitehead Alenia SistemiSubacquei (WASS), a subsidiary of the VVIP helicopter scam-tainted Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica had won during the UPA regime.
If no other alternative is selected, the Navy would be inducting the first of these Project 75 submarines, INS Kalavari into service later this year without its main anti-ship attack system.
Under Project 75, six conventional submarines are being built at the Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) with technology from French firm DCNS. The total cost of Project 75 is estimated to be more than $3.7 billion.
Questioned during his visit to MDL late last month, defence minister Parrikar had told reporters that the defence ministry was already looking for alternatives to Black Shark: “For purpose of secrecy, commercial importance of price, I will not inform you the alternative at this stage.