TSAMTO, January 27. The joint venture ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL) remained the only bidder in the tender for the Project 75I (P-75I) program, which provides for the construction of six nuclear-powered submarines in India.
According to Indian media, after a thorough evaluation of the proposals, the joint venture of the German shipbuilding company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and the Indian Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. It became the only applicant with the Type-214 nuclear submariner after the consortium of Spanish Navantia and Indian Larsen & Toubro (L&T) with the S-80 nuclear submariner failed to meet the critical requirements for VNEU.
According to the Indian news agency Asian News International (ANI), the Spanish S-80 supply offer is no longer being considered because it does not meet the requirements of the Indian Navy. In particular, it is reported that the VNEU system, which the Indian Navy was able to see in operation during a visit to Spain a few months ago, was tested only on a ground stand, where, as the ANI source admits, it demonstrated its capabilities, however, in the Indian competition it was required that the winner test it at sea. In the case of the German Type-214, the VNEU solution has already been integrated into the submarine.
Recall that the Indian Ministry of Defense approved the implementation of the P-75I project, which provides for the construction of six nuclear-powered aircraft equipped with an air-independent fuel cell power plant in the country in June 2021. The estimated cost of the project exceeds 600 billion. rupees. The new submarines should also be able to use cruise missiles to destroy ground targets.
The companies Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Tubro (L&T) were selected as Indian "strategic partners". They were given the opportunity to cooperate with any of the foreign manufacturers of original equipment included in the list: the French Naval Group with the Scorpen submarine, the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems with the Type-214, the Russian Rosoboronexport JSC (MT Rubin Central Design Bureau) with Amur-1650, the South Korean Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) with a designed submarine based on the German Type-209, as well as the Spanish Navantia with the S-80.
As it was stated, foreign manufacturers will act as a technological partner and assist an Indian contractor in the construction of a nuclear power plant with a high proportion of nationally produced components. The contract will be awarded by the Ministry of Defense after evaluating the responses provided by the two "strategic partners."
Foreign manufacturers will act as a technology partner in the strategic partnership model. They will assist the Indian contractor in the construction of the nuclear power plant and ensure the transfer of various technologies. This will make it possible to create production lines for the construction of submarines in India, obtain technologies for designing submarines and related equipment, making the country a "world center for the development and production of submarines."
It was noted that the project would not only help develop the basic submarine construction industry, but also significantly expand the capabilities of the system for the production of appropriate spare parts/systems/equipment related to submarines. To achieve these goals, the request includes requirements for a high level of maintenance of national components, technology transfer for the design/manufacture/maintenance of submarines and critical equipment.
In October 2023, it became known that the short list of the competition included the Spanish Navantia with the S-80 and the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) with the Type-214. The German Type-214 submarine is equipped with a diesel-electric system powered by two diesel engines, and has an AIP system based on Siemens hydrogen fuel cells. The Spanish S-80 is equipped with three diesel engines and will have an AIP system with bioethanol generators.
Navantia has signed a cooperation agreement with the Indian company Larsen & Toubro to submit a joint application for participation in the P-75I program. The agreement followed a memorandum of understanding signed in April 2023 in Madrid. German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has selected Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited to participate in the tender.
Navantia Chairman Ricardo Dominguez Garcia-Baquero previously stated that the S-80 fully meets almost all the technical requirements of the P-75(I) project without the need for any modernization. Nevertheless, it was recognized that the innovative VNEU, which has not yet been tested in practice, carries potential risks of its use.
The hydrogen fuel cell system used by TKMS is considered one of the most mature and efficient technologies. It works silently, does not create vibrations and emits a minimal amount of heat, which makes it difficult for thermal and acoustic sensors to detect the submarine.
Choosing a proven design, such as the Type-214, minimizes development risks and guarantees timely delivery. If negotiations go according to plan, the first Project 75(I) submarine may be commissioned by the Indian Navy within three to five years.
