India nuclear submarine6/12/2023 Varunastra heavyweight torpedo, Nirbhay, BrahMos and BrahMos-II land-attack/ anti-ship cruise missiles ₹1.2 lakh crore (US$15 billion) total cost India also has two nuclear ballistic submarines, classified SSBN.For the conventional-attack submarine programme, see Project 75I-class submarine.India has 16 conventional diesel-electric submarines, which are classified as SSKs excluding the INS Vagir and INS Vagsheer.Another problem for the OEMs is the transfer of technology as they are unwilling to share all their expertise, especially the niche technologies that they have built.While some manufacturers may have the technology, it may not have been proven at sea yet.Concerns- The requirement to demonstrate a sea-proven fuel cell AIP is the major concern.The Naval Group has already announced it is pulling out, and the Russian and Spanish companies might also not proceed with their bids.The project is lagging behind the curve as the final bids are yet to be finalised.This will be India’s first project under the Strategic Partnership Model where the government will give the contract to an Indian Strategic Partner (SP), which will partner with a foreign OEM to build AIP-powered submarines in the country.The first Request for Information for P-75I was issued in 2008, then again in 2010, but the RFP was issued only in July 2021.Project-75I (approved in 2007) succeeded the Project-75.(MDL) under technology transfer from Naval Group of France under a $3.75-bn deal signed in 2005. Six Scorpene submarines are being built under Project-75 by Mazagaon Dock Ltd.P-75 envisages indigenous construction of Scorpene-class submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art AIP system.The older Project-75 (P-75) was brought under the new plan, with the two production lines to be built under P-75 and P-75I.In 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved a 30-year plan for the Navy to indigenously build and induct 24 submarines by 2030.What is the Navy’s 30-year submarine building programme about? The submarine’s unit cost increases by around 10%. Produce some acoustic noise from moving parts.It requires pressurised liquid oxygen (LOX) storage on-board and supply for all three technologies.Installing AIP increases the length and weight of the boats.The ultra-quiet nature of modern diesel subs, has made AIP-equipped diesel subs a very attractive alternative.Diesel submarines possess the advantage of being able to switch off their engines completely and lie in wait unlike nuclear submarines whose reactors cannot be switched off at will.Retain the element of surprise by remaining undetected.These cells convert chemical energy into electrical energy, recharging the batteries of the submarine.There are different types of AIP mechanisms available and India is looking for under the P-75I project is AIP based on fuel cells.Even with AIP, the submarine needs to surface every three weeks or so.Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) is a mechanism that allows the batteries to be charged even while the boat is submerged.Diesel electric submarines must come to the surface or close to it to run their generators to recharge the batteries that propel them underwater.
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