The Indian Navy could buy four more submarines Scorpène bringing the fleet to ten units. This is what they said from the Indian admiralty. We know that the "Kalvari", the first submarine stealth made by Mazagon Dock Limited, in Mumbai, is being tested. It should enter service with the Indian Navy by September of the 2016.
The current operational strength of the Indian submarine fleet is based on three active boats: two class submarines Kilo purchased by the Russians between the 1980 and the 2000 and the "Chakra", class Akula purchased in leasing from Moscow two years ago. Only two of them would be able to dive. In the 1986 New Delhi had 21 submarines online. The first contract of the '75' program involves the construction of six class submarines Scorpène within the 2020. The Indian Navy has signed a contract of 4,6 billion dollars with France, in the 2005, to build under license the platform designed by the DCNS companies. Work on the first boat began in May of the 2009.
The "Kalvari" is the first Indian submarine designed to operate at greater depths than the others of its same size, estimated in 300 meters (350 test). The project uses a particular "high performance specific steel" that allows it to operate at such depths while the entire class has been designed with safety techniques and protocols to attenuate any type of underwater sound emission. The profile itself of the class Scorpène it should be hardly detectable by enemy sonars.
The presentation of "Kalvari" comes a week after the agreement signed by Pakistan with China for the purchase of eight submarines. The second boat, the "Khanderi", will be launched in a year and will enter service in the 2017.
The "Scorpène"
The Scorpène class diesel-electric attack submarines were designed by the companies DCN and Navantia, united in the DCNS consortium. The platform is also equipped with independent propulsion from the extra air (the AIP module is Indian). AIP systems allow the non-nuclear submarine to operate without the use of outside air. While for the reactor of a nuclear submarine cooling liquid must be continuously pumped, generating a certain amount of detectable noise, the non-nuclear battery-powered boats with AIP system, would sail in silence. The AIP propulsion allows it to extend its navigation to a maximum of 70 days. A little less than 70 meters, with a width of 6,2 meters and a displacement of 1700 tons, provides a crew of 31 men. Its maximum speed in diving is estimated at 37 km / h while surface navigation can reach 22 km / h.
The six 533mm tubes are designed to launch "Black Shark" heavy-duty torpedoes designed by Whitehead Alenia Underwater Systems, anti-ship missiles Exocet about thirty mines.
(photo: DCNS / Defense Online)
