India Plans to Increase Submarine Fleet
Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the country must rethink its submarine building plan and look for greater numbers than the existing plan of making 24 submarines.
"Indian Navy needs to rethink its submarine building plans and should look for more number of submarines," Parrikar said.
Referring to the existing 30-year submarine building plan that envisages construction of 24 submarines--both nuclear and conventional--Parrikar said India needed a longer plan till 2050.
He also said that the strategic partnership model is in the last stage and once brought out, the ministry will fast- track the P75 India project under which six more conventional submarines are to be built.
"Project 75-I of the navy is waiting for finalisation of a strategic partnership in submarine building. After it's approved, the project will be fast-tracked," Parrikar said.
The existing plan ends in 2030 and the first submarine under it--the Kalvari-- will be commissioned in January 2017.
India is indigenously building six nuclear submarines under the Advance Technical Vehicle (ATV) project.
