Germany, India sign deal for 6 submarines

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, June 7

Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Indian Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on making six stealth submarines.

The MoU aims to utilise the latest technology from Germany and the manufacturing abilities of the MDL for six conventional submarines under the Project-75 (India) of the Indian Navy.

The MDL, headquartered in Mumbai, is a public sector company owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The TKMS is the global market leader for non-nuclear submarines based on air independent propulsion (AIP) technology, which helps a submarine to stay under water for longer periods. India had sought operational AIP technology, which would allow a submarine to remain under water for up to six days.

The MoU was signed in the presence of the German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius at Mumbai. As per the pact, the TKMS will contribute to the engineering and design of the submarines as well as provide consultancy support to this joint project. The MDL will take the responsibility for constructing and delivering the submarines.

The construction of the submarines will take place in India and is expected to have significant local content. A few months ago, the MDL was invited by the MoD to bid for making the subs.

“We look back on a trusting and decade-long partnership with India and would be delighted to contribute to India’s national security further on,” said Oliver Burkhard, CEO of TKMS.

In the late 1980s, India had sourced four submarines from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) of Germany. Two of these were made at the MDL in 1992 and 1994, respectively, and the other two came from Germany. The HDW has since been taken over by the TKMS.

As of now, India has 16 conventional submarines and one nuclear submarine, way short of the envisaged plan drawn out in 1999 that spoke of having 24 conventional submarines by 2030.