As Russia wishes to sell 6 submarines to India (for Project-75(i)) Russia's Sputnik News, August 12, 2016, has been quick to report that:
"French Firm DCNS Fails to Find Takers in India for Its AIPS Technology"
COMMENTS
This may initially effect the existing Scorpene "Kalvari" class contract that DCNS has with India. DCNS won the Kalvari contract in 2005 to build 6 (non-AIP) Scorpenes for the Indian Navy. AIP is now relevant because India subsequently indicated that the last 2 Kalvaris would have AIP. India's DRDO has maintained that it can supply the AIP, but this is highly ambitious.
It would then mainly fall to DCNS to organise the AIP for the last 2 Kalvaris. But India seems to be playing hardball. France may have offered an updated version of its existing AIP called MESMA. MESMA has been installed in 3 of Pakistan's DCNS designed Agosta 90Bs (Khalid class) subs, not in anyone's Scorpenes (so far).
I suspect that India is really holding out for the advanced Reformer/Fuel cell AIP that DCNS may be working on.
This impasse in the already delayed Kalvari program not only effects the last 2 Scorpene Kalvaris. India and DCNS both know that India will (sooner or later) be selecting a winning tenderer for
Project 75(i) class submarines. This is for 6 further, specifically AIP submarines. India also wants them to feature VLS for a number of India's touted supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles.
The ability to provide AIP and VLS is a tall order. Only Sweden's Kockums, Germany's TKMS and DCNS offer developed AIP (China is virtually India's enemy - so it has no hope of offering anything).
Russia is the only provider of proven VLS for conventional subs (that I know of). That is, Russia has already launched Kalibr/Klub by VLS (see Youtube below).
So India, by rejecting France's AIP, at this stage will tend to pressure DCNS to make a low price offer for the 6 future Project-75(i) submarines AND/OR France may be prepared to transfer more technology specifically advanced AIP to India.
RUSSIA AND AIP
Russia has had a great deal of trouble developing AIP (no working AIP I know of so far). India is well known to work closely with Russia on advanced submarine technologies . So if India acquired advanced AIP technology from anyone Russia may benefit and be eternally grateful... India typically stops-starts-stops on arms purchases (as France also recalls concerning the MRCA jet competition).
What might result is that advanced AIP is imprudently supplied to India - it finds its way to Russia - then Russia installs this advanced AIP and VLS into new 6 new Kilo / Amur / or Kalina class subs that Russia sells to India for Project-75(i).
SCORPENE BACKGROUND
What is making DCNS particularly hungry to sell Scorpenes is the low revenue turnover not only for the Kalvari Program (signed in 2005 but only 1 sub produced so far) but also the Brazilian Scorpene program (no subs produced (ie. launched) since the 2009 commencement. See Table below
Low revenue from Scorpenes also likely made DCNS all the more competitive on price and technology transfer in the Shortfin bid for Australia’s future submarine competition.
India's non-aligned status, and rising wealth, helps make it a shrewd and unpredictable arms buyer.
Pete
"French Firm DCNS Fails to Find Takers in India for Its AIPS Technology"
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — In what could be a major setback to French naval ship-building company DCNS, its proposal to set up a 100% Indian subsidiary for manufacturing air-independent propulsion systems (AIPS) for submarines is likely to be rejected by the Indian government.
COMMENTS
This may initially effect the existing Scorpene "Kalvari" class contract that DCNS has with India. DCNS won the Kalvari contract in 2005 to build 6 (non-AIP) Scorpenes for the Indian Navy. AIP is now relevant because India subsequently indicated that the last 2 Kalvaris would have AIP. India's DRDO has maintained that it can supply the AIP, but this is highly ambitious.
It would then mainly fall to DCNS to organise the AIP for the last 2 Kalvaris. But India seems to be playing hardball. France may have offered an updated version of its existing AIP called MESMA. MESMA has been installed in 3 of Pakistan's DCNS designed Agosta 90Bs (Khalid class) subs, not in anyone's Scorpenes (so far).
I suspect that India is really holding out for the advanced Reformer/Fuel cell AIP that DCNS may be working on.
This impasse in the already delayed Kalvari program not only effects the last 2 Scorpene Kalvaris. India and DCNS both know that India will (sooner or later) be selecting a winning tenderer for
Project 75(i) class submarines. This is for 6 further, specifically AIP submarines. India also wants them to feature VLS for a number of India's touted supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles.
The ability to provide AIP and VLS is a tall order. Only Sweden's Kockums, Germany's TKMS and DCNS offer developed AIP (China is virtually India's enemy - so it has no hope of offering anything).
Russia is the only provider of proven VLS for conventional subs (that I know of). That is, Russia has already launched Kalibr/Klub by VLS (see Youtube below).
A Russian Kilo sub, using VLS, launches Kalibr missiles at targets in Syria (December 2015).
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So India, by rejecting France's AIP, at this stage will tend to pressure DCNS to make a low price offer for the 6 future Project-75(i) submarines AND/OR France may be prepared to transfer more technology specifically advanced AIP to India.
RUSSIA AND AIP
Russia has had a great deal of trouble developing AIP (no working AIP I know of so far). India is well known to work closely with Russia on advanced submarine technologies . So if India acquired advanced AIP technology from anyone Russia may benefit and be eternally grateful... India typically stops-starts-stops on arms purchases (as France also recalls concerning the MRCA jet competition).
What might result is that advanced AIP is imprudently supplied to India - it finds its way to Russia - then Russia installs this advanced AIP and VLS into new 6 new Kilo / Amur / or Kalina class subs that Russia sells to India for Project-75(i).
SCORPENE BACKGROUND
What is making DCNS particularly hungry to sell Scorpenes is the low revenue turnover not only for the Kalvari Program (signed in 2005 but only 1 sub produced so far) but also the Brazilian Scorpene program (no subs produced (ie. launched) since the 2009 commencement. See Table below
Scorpene SSKs (14 ordered) | First Sub Laid Down | Last Sub Commissioned | 9 still building |
2 built | 1999 O’Higgins Chile | 2006 | No |
2 built | 2009 | No | |
1 launched so far | 2009 INS Kalvari India | 2016 (maybe) (1 so far) | 5 x Kalvaris 1 per year |
none completed so far | 2010 SBR-1 Brazil | 2020 (maybe, SBR-1) | 4 x SBRs (1 per year) |
India's non-aligned status, and rising wealth, helps make it a shrewd and unpredictable arms buyer.
Pete