India
Rafale, Scorpene deals worth Rs 1 lakh crore will be signed soon, says Navy chief | India News – Times of India
“Both the deals for Rafales and Scorpenes are in the final stages. We should be able to sign them next month, if not earlier,” Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said on Monday, adding the recent induction of the second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) INS Ariglaat has launched the country’s underwater leg of the “nuclear triad ” strengthened.
In his speech ahead of Navy Day on Wednesday, he said the nuclear-capable K-4 missile, with a range of 3,500 km, was test-fired from INS Ariglaat in the Bay of Bengal on November 27, as first reported by TOI .
“The launch was successful and the concerned agencies are examining the trajectory (and other parameters)… we will know the results soon,” he said. INS Ariglaat will join the first SSBN, INS Arihant, armed only with the 750 km K-15 missiles, in “deterrent patrols” upon completion of its trials. The third SSBN will be commissioned early next year as INS Aridhaman.
In conventional warfare, the first of the two 9,800-ton nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by the Prime Minister in October at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore, will be be ready for introduction by 2036. 37, followed by the second a few years later.
The Navy currently has 63 ships and vessels under construction in Indian shipyards, apart from two guided missile frigates built in Russia, in line with India’s ongoing quest to build a stronger blue-water force.
The Navy, which has over 130 warships, with 150 aircraft and 130 helicopters, also has initial approval or ‘acceptance of emergency’ (AoN) for another 31 warships.
However, the Navy will reach a force of around 155 to 160 warships by 2030, given the slow pace of construction in Indian shipyards and the gradual decommissioning of older warships.
The deal of around Rs 63,000 crore for outright procurement of 22 single-seat Rafale jets and four twin-seat trainers for aircraft carriers, along with weapons, simulator, spare parts, crew training and logistics support, is only “one level short ” of is sent for final approval by the CCS. “Since it is an agreement between governments, it should not take much time,” Admiral Tripathi said.
The three additional Scorpenes, in turn, will be built at the Mumbai-based Mazagon Docks (MDL) at a cost of around Rs 36,000 crore, with the first one to be rolled out over six years.
