Ahead of the visit of the schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France, the Navy Group Major Defense France had announced that they could not participate in the Indian P-75 (P-75I) project where six conventional submarines would be built in India for Indians Navy.
The group, one of the five international players was selected for the 43,000-Crore RS project, said that he could not meet the Proposal Request Requirements (RFP) and therefore, would not continue with his offer.This project is the largest under the new strategic partnership model that will see partners of original International Equipment (OEM) producers with Indian companies to produce submarines in India, and share technology.
P-75i is the second project that built a submarine in India-Navy group has just completed six conventional submarines in the Kalvari class (Scorpene class) under the P-75 project in a partnership with Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilding Limited (MDL) in India. The P-75 project was signed in 2005 (Navy group called DCNS at the time) and of six, four submarines were assigned to the Navy. The sixth in the class was launched last month and is expected to be assigned at the end of next year.In a statement on April 30, Laurent Videau, the country and implementing director, Naval Group India, said “RFP is currently requiring that AIP fuel cells are proven by the sea, which has not been a case for us because the French Navy does not use the propulsion system. “
AIP is an independent air propulsion technology for conventional submarines, and provides greater durability, the ability to remain submerged longer, and less noisy than diesel-electric propulsion systems.Videau said the Navy group “is always ready to offer the best in the class and the solution adapted to the Indian Navy Project, entirely in line with the principle of Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. He said the group would “strengthen our existing commitment and hope for a closer relationship with India.”
“Our focus and efforts are towards the continuation of our collaboration with the Indian industry in realizing the vision of the Indian government by supporting the Indian Navy for other future development and projects (maintenance, high -tech tools, original AIP, additional increases on submarines designed by Scorpene, HWT , larger ships etc.), “he said.
The announcement came a few days before the visit of the schedule of Prime Minister Modi to France on May 4 for a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron who was re -elected last month. In his departure statement, Modi said his meeting with Macron would “reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries” and “will also give us the opportunity to set the next phase tone of the Indian-French strategic partnership.”
The withdrawal of the Navy group from the process has led to concerns about the P-75i project. Although it has become the first of five OEMs elected to openly withdraw from the race, the source said that OEM from Russia and Spain also did not participate effectively even though they had not made such announcements so far.The government issued RFP for the project in July last year – Five OEMs were selected to partner with one of the selected Indian Strategic Partners (SP) to submit an offer for submarine making.
The selected SPS is Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) who must submit an offer with one of the five foreign OEMs – Navy Group (France), Thyssenkrupp (German) marine system, JSC ROE (Russia), Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd (South Korea) and Navantia (Spain).Sources said the navy group quoted problems showing AIP fuel cells that were proven to be the sea so that their inability to continue. But some OEM, said the source, was uncomfortable sharing their expertise and technology with Indian partners.
In the project, the government, at that time issued RFP, said “imagined the original construction of six modern conventional submarines (including coastal support, technical support packages, training packages and spare parts) with contemporary equipment, weapons & sensors including AIP fuel based -Sel (Independent Air Propulsion Factory), sophisticated torpedo, modern missiles and sophisticated control systems. This will provide a big encouragement to the original design and the ability of submarine construction in India, in addition to bringing the latest submarine design and technology as part of the project. “
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