
Germany AIP Submarine: The Indian government was talking to many countries regarding the AIP submarine deal for the Navy, but now it seems that the German company TkMS has won the contract for the Indian AIP submarine. German defense major ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) will build six AIP submarines in India in collaboration with India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). With this, a German submarine will be able to join the Indian Navy fleet after 44 years.
Project cost 8 billion US dollars
Earlier in the year 2021, when the Indian Navy had issued a tender, the German company had not shown any interest in building submarines in collaboration with India. ThyssenKrupp will jointly bid with MDL for the US$5.2 billion project for the Indian Navy. It is being told that the cost of this project may increase to 8 billion US dollars.
Refused to give AIP technology to Pakistan
Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) increases the survivability and strike capability of diesel-electric submarines. This system could allow Pakistani submarines to charge their batteries without coming to water. Earlier in the year 2020, Pakistan had demanded Germany to provide AIP system to increase the capability of its submarines, which was rejected by the then Chancellor Angela Merkel. Pakistan wanted AIP technology to upgrade its submarines and the Hangar class submarines (Type 039) built under the China-Pakistan project.
This was not the first time that Germany had shocked Pakistan. Previously, the S-26 submarines were powered by German MTU 12V 396 SE84 diesel engines, but the German government reportedly withheld an export license for the powerplant. After this, Pakistan Navy started using China’s CHD-620 diesel engine.
Pakistan was angry with Germany
Germany was angry that Pakistan did not help in identifying the culprits of the bomb attack on the German Embassy in Kabul in May 2017. Currently Pakistan has three AIP submarines. If Hangor class submarines join the Pakistani Navy, this number is expected to increase to 11.
The Indian Navy does not have any AIP submarine. Now for the first time it will be made under Make in India. India had purchased 1500 conventional submarines of four types from Germany’s HDW company in 1981. HDW is the parent company of ThyssenKrupp. Its objective was to obtain information about submarine construction. The German firm has been working with MDL since the 1980s. Indian submarines were never sent to Germany for repairs or upgrades; this work was entirely done by MDL.
India has been wanting to get AIP technology for a long time
India has been trying to acquire this important technology from Germany, France and Russia for a long time. In 2005, India signed an agreement with the Franco-Spanish consortium Armaris to build six Scorpene conventional submarines. The fifth Scorpene class submarine was inducted into the Indian Navy in January 2023. These submarines do not have AIP, but plans are underway to retrofit them with domestically developed AIP technology.
This technology will help the Indian Navy to cover the entire Bay of Bengal while remaining submerged in water. A submarine is most vulnerable when it is at periscope depth to get oxygen to power its electric batteries.
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