Feature 4
RAWL-02 Mk III with IFF Mk XI, and
the new Elta EL/M 2248 MF-STAR multi-
function S-band solid-state active conformal Submarine programmes
phased array radar.
The ships will have steering gear
and stabilisers designed and developed Six Scorpene submarines are on order for the Indian Navy at MdL, with deliveries
indigenously by Larsen and Toubro, the air scheduled to commence in december 2012 through december 2017, at a rate
conditioning and refrigeration plants are also of one a year. dCN in France and Navantia in Spain are to transfer technology to
being built in India, and the Indian Navy’s India for the programme, and provide technical support for the project, in a deal
Naval Design Directorate is already working worth at least US$3 billion.
on a follow on design, known as the P-15B. after a year of preparatory work, during which two trial sections were built to
The choice of the LM 2500 gas turbine to qualify welders and the fabrication process, MdL commenced production of the
power these ships is under consideration, first boat on 14 December 2006. The submarines are to be built from 80HLES steel.
and three units are expected to be ordered. While all welding and much of the plate bending is done in-house, specialised
plate bending, rolling, and machining work is outsourced as needed, but
Project 17 Shivalik class tolerances for construction of hull sections are obviously very tight. There is also
frigates concern in the project team that equipment sourcing and deliveries could pose
Three 4445tonne, 143m stealthy frigates a problem, and it would appear that a significant quantity of rolled plate sections
are fitting out at MDL under the project 17 need to be reworked.
programme. Once again the subject of design According to the chairman of MDL, constructing and delivering the first
changes, it would appear that the ships will submarine on schedule will be ‘a very challenging task’ for the shipyard,
be fitted with the Israeli Barak 1 anti missile especially given the steep learning curve. Thereafter, delivery of subsequent boats
system instead of the Russian Kashtan, as at a rate of one per year is feasible given the timely availability of equipment and
originally designed. Other known systems material. Progressive indigenisation of these boats is expected, starting with the
onboard are a Garpun (3C25) radar, third boat.
Fregat-M radar, and Orekh illuminators The Indian Navy has longstanding plans to build 24 submarines, of two distinct
for the Shtil-1 surface to air missile system. types, over a period of 30 years. This is a very ambitious schedule, and private
Anti-submarine warfare system comprises industrial participation is essential for success. Given this, it is of interest to note
two RBU 6000 rocket launchers and a 3R- that L&T’s offer to partner MdL in the P-75 project was rejected by the Indian
14N-17 KLUB launcher with eight cells. government, even though L&T is actively involved in the Indian nuclear submarine
Diffuser eductor type infrared signature project, known as the aTV.
suppression devices, designed by India’s In december 2007, the Indian Navy’s chief, admiral Sureesh Mehta, openly
naval laboratories, are fitted to the funnel admitted that the hitherto secretive aTV project was making progress and could
stack. possibly be launched as early as 2009. In-service dates would be 2-4 years away.
These ships also feature the first use of There are indications that this vessel, which is under construction at the
an integrated shipboard data network and shipbuilding complex in Vishakapatnam, is to be a ballistic missile submarine
a fully integrated IPMS on an Indian naval with 12 tubes and a displacement of around 5897tonnes. Missile development is
vessel. Setting to work of the IPMS system ongoing under Project K-15, and the Indian defence research organisation has
commenced in June 2007. carried out a handful of underwater missile launches. There is understood to be a
With all of the delays, the revised plan requirement for up to five SSBNs.
calls for a delivery date of December 2008
for the first vessel, INS Shivalik. Individual
equipment trials have already started for
the first ship, and the ship is expected to
begin an extended period of sea trials by
mid-2008. The second frigate should start
trials by December 2008, followed by the
third. WT
* Other Indian Navy surface ship programmes and
Indian Coast Guard programmes will be examined in a
subsequent article.
Sailors aboard the Indian carrier Viraat
refuel a Sea Harrier aircraft during Exercise
Malabar 2007.
Warship Technology January 2008 25
WT Jan - p22+23+24+25.indd 25 08/01/2008 10:29:33
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