New Delhi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar undocked the first Indian Navy’s six Scorpene class stealth submarines named Kalvari on Monday and laid a path for sea trail for an eventual commissioning that is to happen in September, 2016.
It is the Defence Minister on Monday set for sea trials paving the way for an eventual commissioning. He witnessed the event and warned the people involved in it by telling that rewards will be given for early completion and penalty for the delay case. By warning, he also gave a hint of getting rewards from the government.
In collaboration with French firm DCNS, the six Scorpenes are built by Mazagon Docks and keeping in that Christened ‘Project 75’ has delayed for 40 months, the Minister spoke these words to the people involved in the construction. The first delivery date was in 2012 but the revised date is September of next year.
As the delivery date of this has been delayed, the navy said that the schedule for the successive submarines of future projects has been reduced. It is said to the MDL and Goa shipyard defence public sector to double the production in the coming three years. Defence Minister said, “I have asked all the defence PSUs to double their production in the next three years”.
He also said that as far as P75 (I) Project was concerned; all the private players can also be invited for a joint venture. And this could help in the project to finish soon within no time. This is the project in India under Navy under which six submarines will be built.
“Penalty will be paid if the project will not be finished in the duration given and will be rewarded with bonus for early completion”, he warned. It is said in meeting that the first Scorpene submarine has been named after its predecessor who is an erstwhile Russian ‘Foxtrot’ class submarine, Kalvari.
Kalvari is the first submarine that is operated by India. Navy’s underwater capability will lend an enormous fillip on the commissioning for this in September, 2016. In the Project 75, all other five boats will be finished by 2020. And the navy’s submarine arm core will be finished in the next two decades.