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View Full Version : Indian Navy, HDW in mammoth submarine project




srirangan
August 25th, 2004, 06:39 AM
http://www.indiareacts.com/nati2.asp?recno=2903

23 August 2004: In October, a Franco-German defence team will visit India to collaborate with the Indian Navy and public-sector shipyards to manufacture nearly ten submarines and more than thirty-five ships and fast patrol boats by the year 2015, but officials clarified that this would not affect other deals in the final stages of negotiation.

A consortium is proposed among the navy/ shipyards while the French-German side will be represented by leading submarine-builder HDW, sonar and radar makers Thales, and aeronautical and missile specialists, EADS, Europe’s largest defence contractor.

Following a visit to a German defence exhibition and certain French companies in summer, an Indian-Navy team proposed a collaborative venture, and the key to it is the German approval for use of a newly-developed special material for building the hulls of submarines and ships which is non-magnetic, rust-proof, produces zero pulse, and is long-lasting.

For the submarines and ships, the sonars will be supplied by Thales which will spin off a separate company with HDW for the Indian project, while EADS is to provide Sea Wolf missiles, and mostly near finalisation of the contract, Indian shipyards will be identified for construction.