Govt clears construction of 2 nuclear-powered submarines: Navy chief

The government has approved the construction of two indigenously designed nuclear attack submarines and is expected to ink contracts next month to procure 26 naval variants of Rafale jets and three Scorpene submarines, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said on Monday.

At a press conference ahead of Navy Day, Admiral Tripathi said his force is keeping a close watch on the Chinese naval activities in the Indian Ocean, and described as "surprising" the growth of the Pakistan Navy given the condition of its economy, adding the eight brand new submarines being built will add significant combat potential to it.

The Indian Navy is tweaking its strategy to "negate" any infringement in its area of operations and "we are fully ready to tackle all threats from our neighbours", he asserted.

The Navy Chief said India will induct around 95 ships in the next 10 years as the focus has been to build a future-ready naval force by 2047 that will consolidate India's resurgence as a maritime power and ensure credible deterrence.

On the Cabinet Committee on Security's approval to build two nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), Admiral Tripathi said the plan is to commission the first one by 2036-37 and the second one in about two years from then.

The SSNs will add huge capability to the Navy, he said in the first such comments by a top government official on the strategically crucial project.

Listing measures to bolster India's naval prowess, he also said that the contract to procure 26 Rafale-Marine from France under a government-to-government framework and the deal to construct three additional Scorpene submarines are expected to be sealed by next month.

"It is a matter of completing the formalities in the acquisition process. We expect that if not this month, then next month, hopefully, both these (Scorpene submarine) and Rafale-M (procurement deals) should be signed," he said.

In July last year, the defence ministry approved the purchase of the Rafale-M jets from France, primarily for deployment on board the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

The ministry had also cleared the procurement of three Scorpene submarines from France.