Defence ministry clears Navy's Rs. 30,000 crore stealth destroyers project

[Justin Joseph]

Defence ministry clears Navy's Rs. 30,000 crore guided-missile stealth destroyers project

NEW DELHI: Slowly but surely, India is building a powerful three-dimensional blue-water Navy to protect its geo-strategic interests stretching from Hormuz Strait to Malacca Strait.

After the recent nod to the over Rs 50,000-crore project for a second line of six submarines, the defence ministry has cleared another major programme to indigenously construct four guided-missile stealth destroyers.

MoD sources say `Project-15B' for the four destroyers, valued around Rs 30,000 crore, has now been sent for final approval to the finance ministry before it's taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

The P-15B programme will be undertaken at Mazagon Docks (MDL) after the three Kolkata-class destroyers, already being constructed there under a long-delayed Rs 11,662-crore project, are finally delivered in 2012-2014.

"Though P-15B is basically a follow-on project of the 6,700-tonne Kolkata-class destroyers, the new destroyers will have greater stealth and advanced sensor and weapon packages,'' said a source.

As first reported by TOI, the over Rs 50,000-crore project to manufacture six submarines with the help of a foreign collaborator was given the green signal last month. These vessels will add to the six French Scorpene submarines being constructed at MDL for over Rs 20,000 crore.

Even as it gears up to also get a dedicated satellite this year, Navy already has as many as 39 warships and submarines on order. With "indigenisation'' being the guiding mantra, 34 of these warships are being constructed in Indian shipyards.

That's not all. In addition to the six new submarines and four destroyers over and above the 39 warships already ordered, the government has also approved the Rs 45,000-crore construction of seven more stealth frigates at MDL in Mumbai and GRSE in Kolkata.

All this shows the government has finally realised the critical need for a strong Navy to protect the country's huge maritime interests and project power in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond, even as India jostles with an expanding Chinese footprint in IOR for strategic space.

The prima donnas of the warships on order are, of course, the 44,570-tonne Admiral Gorshkov from Russia and the 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) being built at Cochin Shipyard. With Gorshkov to be inducted by early-2013 and IAC by 2015, India hopes to deploy two potent carrier battle-groups by the middle of this decade.

Moreover, with Navy having also ordered 45 carrier-borne MiG-29K fighters for around $2 billion from Russia, the design work on a much-bigger 65,000-tonne IAC-II is also underway.

Armed with its maritime capability perspective plan 2005-2022, Navy wants to ensure its force-levels do not dip below the existing 130 warships, 65 of which are "major combatants'', with older vessels slated for progressive retirement.

Defence ministry clears Navy's 30k cr destroyer project - India - The Times of India

 

[SpArK]

WOW... big news... Navy is indeed getting powerful day by day.

 

[Ishan]

When will Defence Ministry end Artillery Jinx

 

[Rupee]

i think india need coastal patrol boats rather than destroyer and improve the security to prevent terrorism by sea.

 

[Bhim]

Its money pouring in every where, that to in BILLIONS

Are you sure this is all for real??

Swanky IG terminal, Games complex to New AIIMS new IITs, Space projects, defence, telecommunication. All in Billions and Billions, it seems India has stopped taking in any thing less.

 

[Kinetic]

Thats an excellent news. P-15B will be our next generation stealth destroyers. They will carry Nirbhay land attack cruise missile. Will be larger than P-15A and complete new design. Rs. 7500 crore for each ship means they will be very capable. I think MDL should left P-17A to GRSE and private builders while they concentrate on advanced larger destroyer like P-15B and submarines.

 

[gowthamraj]

And also some sources says India can order 8 more p-8i

 

[Markus]

Its not possible to allocate so much money at once. I believe the induction of the ships that are being built will be over the next 10 years so the pay out will be from the next 5 year plan.

 

[jha]

Instead of announcing one after other project for NAVY , i would like to see some deals being announced for ill-equipped ARMY and some basic trainers for airforce..

 

[karan.1970]

^ I agree.. The infantry desperately needs some high tech equipment.. I mean some high tech combat gear and fire arms specially for the folks deployed in Jammu and Kashmir LOC can go a long way in reducing fatalities while hunting the infiltrators..

 

[KEETARP]

Yup , as expected

Imp thing to note , what will be propulsion like -
Myself and mauryan had a discussion few days back

He said about Nuc propulsion + Much larger ship + Naval BMD system (PVD/Swordfish) .

Justin's news says 4 ships worth 30k meaning ,
costs more than latest AGEIS ship of Aus Navy . So definately big ticket equipment coming .

Posted by Mauryan

While the propulsion system of future A/C is still in debates in both Naval and MOD circles,this A/C endurance is putting force on the submarine construction line.THis brings to the conclusion that the whole SSK and SSN numbers are totally dependant on the propulsion system of A/C. while all this happening on this side of the wall the other side of the wall hit a nail in the cofin of future surface combatants AKA P-15B destroyers.SC group calls of the continution of the P-15A line with ABM capability included while power projection group is calling for the same with nuke propulsion and wanted to be a perfecto cruiser.

Having all said,IN wants to venture into pacific in the coming 7 years with couple of medium time berthing facilities in mind for what talks are just started.To be the rulers of IOR,you have to be in command of Pacific.But as long as US holding power in both the regions,it isnot possible in the near feature,but counting 1 first only leads to the counting of million.IN wishes to start counting 1 today while being optimistic of reaching that million ahead.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/india-defence/30327-indian-navy-news-discussions-50.html#post998699
http://www.defence.pk/forums/india-defence/30327-indian-navy-news-discussions-50.html#post1000476

 

[sunny001]

I am all for defense. we need to buy as much as we need. But at the same time we need to invest a lot on education as well. With the kind of money we are investing in defense, a portion of money could be enough to give proper laptops to all the students in our country. In my view, it should be our top priority for now.

Social and defense spending should be comparable. We cannot build a strong nation with either this or that. But I think Kapil Sibal is doing a fine job. GOI should support him with a budget that will allow him to implement new measures effectively. We cannot be insensitive or callous to our own poor.

It just feels wrong to think that we somehow will become super power ignoring our own poor, where quarter of our population cannot feed themselves on a daily basis. Empower our own people, we'll be a super power in no time. I hope my fellow indians will be reasonable and not too critical to my post. There's nothing wrong in admitting our shortcomings.

 

[whocares]

I am all for defense. we need to buy as much as we need. But at the same time we need to invest a lot on education as well. With the kind of money we are investing in defense, a portion of money could be enough to give proper laptops to all the students in our country. In my view, it should be our top priority for now.

Social and defense spending should be comparable. We cannot build a strong nation with either this or that. But I think Kapil Sibal is doing a fine job. GOI should support him with a budget that will allow him to implement new measures effectively. We cannot be insensitive or callous to our own poor.

It just feels wrong to think that we somehow will become super power ignoring our own poor, where quarter of our population cannot feed themselves on a daily basis. Empower our own people, we'll be a super power in no time. I hope my fellow indians will be reasonable and not too critical to my post. There's nothing wrong in admitting our shortcomings.

I completely agree. for 7B USD which is the quoted amount of this deal, we can supply 70 million of the 100$ laptops !

can you imagine the future payoff of 70 million smarter kids. It runs into hundreds of billion dollars.

i can almost guarantee 70B extra tax receipts within 10 years by spending 7B on the 100 dollar laptops today.

 

[sunny001]

I completely agree. for 7B USD which is the quoted amount of this deal, we can supply 70 million of the 100$ laptops !

can you imagine the future payoff of 70 million smarter kids. It runs into hundreds of billion dollars.

i can almost guarantee 70B extra tax receipts within 10 years by spending 7B on the 100 dollar laptops today.

The problem with subcontinent is that we give so much importance to a terrorist attack that all hell will loose about it, but people especially our politicians and media are so insensitive to our poor that they don't seem to care that much of their survival. I can almost guarantee that there are lot more people dying in India because of hunger than any terrorist attack. Media, because of their greed, projects terrorist attacks as if it's the beginning of World war III and every one is going to die. It should give air time to where it requires.

Over the years we have been hearing from visitors that come to our country that India has so many beggers that they almost attack foreigners for food and money, they call it 'on to the face poverty'. I am always embarrassed and ashamed when I hear their account. But GOI doesn't seem to have done anything about it. I hope Right to food act would come soon,so people don't have to go to bed on an empty stomach.

Also, we need to ban begging in our country. It has become a sort of business these days, where goons are forcing young children to beg. We need to disband these kind of organizations. It was even shown in critically acclaimed 'Slumdog Millionaire'. How can GOI justify this with their huge defense deals.

With RTI, RTE, RTF on track, we should just hope our poor get empowered enough to demand their rights. We need lot more Non profit organizations to popularize above acts. Also I would like to see 'Right to Shelter' act some day in our country. It's no longer acceptable in India, the largest democracy, for political parties to be able to bribe their way to power.

 

[sudhir007]

IN has to retire 6 frigate, 3 Destroyers and 5-7 Corvettes, next decade so we are getting around 12 frigate, 7 destroyers and 12 corvettes. it will be only gap filler as of now Government want our navy is blue water navy also we adding 2 - 3 aircraft carrier for making 3 CBG group then I think we have short of our fleet coze around 2-3 each ship (Frigate, Destroyers and corvettes also submarine) make a group which all CBG. does only giving order 4 ship or 7 ship make any worth why not GOI give big order atleast 10-15 ship in single order.