New Delhi: To give more firepower to the forces in the sea, the Indian Army is going to get six deadly submarines which will be much bigger in size and equipped with lethal weapons. The mega project is expected to cost over Rs 50,000 crore.

Under Project 75-India, the Indian Navy has initiated the tender process by floating an initial expression of interest in which they have also invited foreign vendors to participate.  

According to the plan, Navy will build six conventional submarines which would be almost 50% bigger than the under-construction Scorpene class submarines which are being built at the Mazagon Dockyards in Mumbai. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by the defence minister has already given approval to the project.

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The Navy wants its submarines to be equipped with lethal firepower. They will also be laced with at least 12 Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) along with Anti Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCM). As per the proposal, the new submarines should also be able to carry and launch 18 heavyweight torpedoes in the sea, which will make it the deadliest warrior of the sea.

A senior official said that the new submarines will be much bigger not only in terms of size but also in respect to fighting capabilities. In comparison to Scorpene, the firepower of submarines under Project 75 India will be much advanced.

Indian forces are now trying to upgrade its capacity in all the three department –Army, Air Force and Navy, which was much needed for many decades. At present Indian Navy has over 100 submarines and warships, while Pakistan has only 20. But the major expansion and improvement of infrastructure are to increase India’s dominance in the sea and also to counter Chinese forces.   

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While the present inventory may be adequate to meet an immediate threat in a limited area of operations, it is in dire need of attention. Of the 14 submarines in commission, 12 are 25-30 years old and one is over 19 years old.