New Delhi: In order to strengthen country's overall deterrent capability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and to build a formidable blue-water navy, Narendra Modi government has sanctioned the construction of seven stealth frigates and six nuclear-powered attack submarines.
The indigenous construction that will cost above Rs 1 lakh crore was sanctioned by the Cabinet committee on Security (CSS) to bolster India's deterrent capability in IOR, especially in its primary area of strategic interest stretching from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait.
According to a report published in Times of India, under a project titled ‘Project-17A' , four stealth frigates will be constructed at Mazagon Docks in Mumbai and three in Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata.
The report further says that the contract will be inked with MDL and GRSE this month itself with an initial payment of Rs 4000 crore.
These new multi-mission frigates will be larger, faster and stealthier than the Shivaliks as well as packed with more weapons and sensors to operate in "a multi-threat environment".
However, it is learnt that the building of seven frigates can take more than a decade also. The project for nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) will take even longer.
Post approval, technical parameters or naval staff qualitative requirements (NSQRs) will now be drafted for the over 6,000-tonne submarines.
The SSNs are expected to be constructed at the secretive ship-building centre (SBC) in Vizag.
Apparently, the nuclear-powered submarines are known to be more deadly than the diesel-electric submarines which need to come to the surface every few days in order to get oxygen.
Experts say that SSNs can swiftly undertake long-range patrols. They can run at a speed of 30 knots also for longer distances.
