@Stephen Cohen @dadeechi
Every item that will be build in India under defence contracts will be very different from the original OEM supplied home country's product. For us the customization and proprietary installations safeguards us completely. But what we do require it to have that aspect in multiple project levels.
Lets take an example of scorpenes.
Delay is a blessing - No from IN POV bcz we needed to have all these inducted by 2017 and by now we should have negotiated the next set of follow on orders or a separate project for a better submarine.
Delay is a blessing - yes if you consider from strategic aspect that we have one SSBN and another one is very close as well and now we plan to have SSNs too. This is a right time to take the most advanced SSK available in the market and downstream the technology of the same to our MIC and MSMEs. With the capability built, we can utilise the same in our future SSN and SSBNs and also critically use a derivative of the technology to improve our indigenous product.
In terms of reality Scorpene is a 2000 timeline technology and contemporary tech of same timeline were U214, S80 and Amur series of smaller subs.. The Kilos and HDW are even 15-20 years older than these subs dated technology.
Now interestingly we want the next SSK of 2016 timeline and here lies the catch. The earlier ones even with improved products are no where good enough to help us with additional technology or MIC improvement to augment our black projects. Russia will never share Yasen or Project 885 technology with us. Japan and SOryu is more difficult bcz their export intentions are still not very comprehensive. Thus the technology left with which we can really make use in our project have very very limited choices.
Unless you get USA to come onboard which is next to impossible your next choices narrows down to the following
- Astute - Vanguard - Successor Class tweaks - REJECTED bcz UK wont share it
- Barracuda SSN - Triomphant SSBN -- Shortfin SSK - DCNS
An outside chance is a SSK based on Yasen but thats highly unlikely.
So the final option left is DCNS solution and we have Scorpenes already there.
and any new contract or tender will delay our plans further.
So what should we do?
The present Scorpene proprietary portion is about 1/3rd and arond 35% as far as what sources have said. SO now its a good chance we try and make it more than 50% bcz doing that gives a big capability addition to our MIC and MSME's.
With this so called data theft, we should use the opportunity and get the planned Barracuda tech forward and see how that can also flow into our MIC and MSME's so that in turn it flows to our SSBN and SSN and utilize the experience of DCNS on the same.
We should not stop our Scorpenes but now we should progressively aim at higher proprietary content and the next generation Fuel Cell AIP of theirs and also see if we can either utilize shortfin derived Scorpenes or better order Shortfin SSK directly.
