India To Induct Scorpene-class Subs Only When Fully Operational

The Indian defense ministry will induct the Scorpene-class submarines only if they are ready for deployment in operations.

This is a major change in thinking of the government as earlier the shipyards would hand over warships to the Navy and then would continue trials on the systems on board and the vessels would be made fighting fit long after their official induction.

"The defence ministry is of the view that the vessels should be commissioned in service only if they are ready for deployment in operations moments after they are commissioned into the service," unnamed Navy sources were quoted as saying by Mail Today Wednesday.

"That is why, we have asked the original equipment manufacturer Mazagon Dockyards Limited and the French DCNS to complete all trials, including sensors and weapon fitment, before it is handed over to the Navy for operations," they said.

The INS Kalvari is first of the six Scorpene-class submarines being built by the MDL in Mumbai with DCNS under a Rs 23,000- crore project and is delayed by four years due to issues related to make in India equipment for the vessels.

This can result in the navy waiting for a few more months before it gets to lay its hands on its first new conventional submarine to be inducted after gap of almost two decades. The 'Kalvari' (Tiger Shark) was planned to be inducted by the Navy by the end of 2016.