Mumbai: Defence PSU Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has signed an MoU with German Thyssenkrupp to take part in an Indian Navy tender of a value of around $5.2 billion. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), a subsidiary of German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp.
MDL-TKMS combine will be competing in Project 75-I with another combine, in which Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is partnering with Spanish shipbuilder, Navantia.
As per the agreement, they will bid for India’s submarine project – P75 (India) or P75 (I) – under which six stealth submarines will be built for the Indian Navy following the Strategic Partnership (SP) model of the Ministry of Defence that makes it mandatory for foreign equipment makers to tie up with domestic producers.
In June 2021, the Ministry of Defence floated a proposal to build six next-generation submarines for the Navy with modern Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) technology enabling the submarines to remain underwater for a longer period, missiles and torpedoes, with an estimated cost of over Rs 45,000 crore.
Meanwhile, the German Defence Minister is in Mumbai today June 7, where he is scheduled to visit the Western Naval Command headquarters and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL).
Meanwhile, the Naval Group of France, which is close to completing the build of India’s six Scorpene submarines under Project 75, has been ruled out of consideration on the grounds that the AIP it proposes to supply — called MESMA AIP – lacks the capability that the Indian Navy seeks under Project 75-I.
India and Germany have had a strategic partnership since 2000, which is being strengthened through inter-governmental consultations since 2011 at the level of heads of government. This is the first visit of a German defence minister to India since 2015.
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