TSAMTO, June 9. On June 7, the German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) signed an agreement with the Indian Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL), providing for the construction of six NAPS in India if the Indian Navy Command chooses this project based on the results of the ongoing tender.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding in Mumbai took place in the presence of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who visited the company at the end of his week-long tour of the countries of the region.
According to TKMS, the memorandum will become the basis for potential cooperation with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in the framework of participation in the Indian Navy tender. At the same time, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems will be responsible for the development and design of submarines, as well as provide consulting support. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited will be responsible for the construction and supply of NAPL to the Indian Navy. The construction will be carried out in India using components of national production. This approach corresponds to the policy of the Indian authorities, according to which military products for the Armed Forces of the country should be produced on the national territory.
This division of responsibilities also satisfies TKMS, whose enterprises in Germany are loaded with orders for the supply of submarines for the Navies of Germany, Norway, Israel and Singapore.
According to a number of analysts, the presence of the minister in official photos from the event suggests that Germany's candidacy is seriously considered as a partner in the program for the construction of six submarines, the cost of which, according to unofficial reports, could reach $ 5.2 billion.
According to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in general, the agreement concluded by the German and Indian companies provides for the volume of cooperation in the amount of up to 7 billion. euro ($7.5 billion).
Presumably, TKMS will offer the Indian Navy a Type-214 class submarine with a length of 72 m and a displacement of about 2000 tons.
In the past, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has already supplied the Indian Navy with diesel fuel. In the 1980s, four 1,450-ton Type-209 class submarines were adopted by the Indian Navy ("Shishumar"). The first and second were built by ThyssenKrupp Marine System (then HDW) in Kiel, and the third and fourth were built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai.
According to Defense News, a promising multibillion-dollar deal involving the supply of NAPL to the Indian Navy makes the German shipbuilder more attractive to investors, as the ThyssenKrupp conglomerate seeks to sell this business for consolidation and focus on more predictable operations. This direction is known for its instability due to large needs for funds, financial guarantees and long lead times.
As reported by TSAMTO, in June 2021, the Ministry of Defense of India approved the implementation of the "Project 75I" (P-75I), which provides for the construction of six air-independent fuel-cell powerplants on the territory of the country. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Tubro (L&T) have been selected as Indian "strategic partners". They can cooperate with any of the foreign original equipment manufacturers included in the "short list": French Naval Group, German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Russian JSC Rosoboronexport, South Korean Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) and Spanish Navantia.
Foreign manufacturers will act as a technological partner and will assist an Indian contractor in the construction of an NPL with a high level of components of national production. The contract will be concluded by the Ministry of Defense after evaluating the responses submitted by two national "strategic partners".
