Asia-Pacific

India to buy 6 next generation subs

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-16 17:21

NEW DELHI - The Indian Navy Wednesday said that it would issue a global tender for acquiring at least six next generation submarines worth over 500 billion rupees ($10 billion) by this year-end.

"The government has cleared Project-75 India which is the next lot of six submarines. At the moment, we are going with the Request for Information process, I hope within this year we would be able to push off the tender," Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told the media in the national capital.

About the capabilities of future submarines, the Navy chief said: "It will be a different boat in the sense that we are revising its Qualitative Requirements. Along with better sensors it will also have better hiding capability, improved detection range and combat management system."

The Navy would go for the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems for the submarines, which would enhance their capability of remaining submerged in water for a longer time period, he added.