Indian Navy’s new Scorpene submarines to have Made in India ‘Heart’ by BEL with French architecture: French Naval Group

Amid ongoing procedure to buy three more Scorpene class submarines for the Indian Navy, Naval Group– the French partner for the project, said that the heart or the combat management system of these new submarines would be made in India by the Bharat Electronics Limited and supported by architecture from France.

Indian Navy is negotiating a deal with Mazagaon Dockyards which will partner with the French Naval Group to build three more Scorpenes for the Indian Navy after it gets its first six boats by the end of this year.

As per the requirements, the additional three submarines will have to have up to 60 per cent indigenous content.

“Based on the present plan, the heart of the submarine, which is the combat system will be an indigenous one from Bharat Electronics Limited based on French architecture. This will be a very important step towards indigenous content,” Naval Group’s Executive Vice President Vincent Martinot-Lagarde, told ANI in an email interview.

He said that Mazagaon Dockyards Limited, Naval Group is confident that 60% Indigenous content will be achieved for the overall project – “even if the implementation will be done progressively keeping in mind the delivery targets and quality requirements.”

The French official who was in India to meet the Indian Navy brass said “It will be a unique project, which will allow the Navy to have the latest technologies on the modern version of the Scorpene design, with better combat capabilities, unmatched endurance and stealth. We understand MDL is proposing the same in 6 years for the first boat, which is challenging yet fitting of their vast experience.”

He said that the Naval Group is providing some part of the supplies that will be indigenized with our industrial partners through subcontracting.

“Many critical systems will be indigenised. We will rely on existing partners. We will also extend our ecosystem and discuss potential activities with L&T, Merlin Hawk, Equans Axima India, VEM, Radiant, and more,” Lagarde said.

He said the remaining part of the supplies will be under MDL’s direct procurement for which the shipyard is discussing with its own suppliers including both Indian and foreigners for subsequent indigenous content.

The Naval Group official said that the major part of this program will flow back to the Indian economy and create several thousands of skilled jobs.

“All in all, the aim will also be to ready the industry in India to tackle after sales of these new boats within India in future. This would mean, all of us, MDL, BEL, Naval Group and others will have to prepare the resources for the future during the contract of the building phase,” he said.

Lagarde said that it was a good initiative by the Indian Navy to prepare the fleet to be Atmanirbhar and future-ready based on in-house resources and expertise.

India is working towards developing a submarine fleet that will have 21 new conventional boats and around six nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs).

To overcome the shortages and delays in the construction of new submarines which are critical for protection from growing Chinese and Pakistani threats, India decided to get three more Scorpene submarines built by the MDL with support from the French naval group in 2023 after a defence acquisition council clearance.

The Defence Ministry is looking at completing the acquisition process within this fiscal year with a minimum of 60 per cent of indigenisation.

The high indigenisation content in the submarines is planned for developing India as a hub for submarine building in the region and also preparing a base for exports.