Larsen & Toubro and Spain’s defence main Navantia, on Monday, inked a ‘teaming settlement’ to collectively bid for Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (I)submarine programme.
The defence ministry is within the strategy of procuring six domestically constructed standard submarines for the Indian Navy. The development of the submarines would happen in India and is anticipated to have vital native content material.
Final month, German defence main Thyssenkrupp Marine Methods (TKMS) and state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) inked a framework settlement to bid for the mega undertaking.
“Larsen & Toubro and Navantia, Spain signed a Teaming Settlement (TA) right now for the aim of submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (India) submarine programme,” the L&T mentioned in an announcement.
The pact was signed at a ceremony in Delhi within the presence of S.N. Subrahmanyan, L&T CEO and MD, Augustin Alvarez Blanco, Naval Development Vice President and Member of the Board of Navantia, and Spanish envoy Jose Mara Ridao Domnguez.
The submarines will probably be constructed beneath the much-talked-about strategic partnership (SP) mannequin that enables home defence producers to hitch fingers with main overseas defence majors to provide high-end army platforms to scale back import dependence.
The bidding course of for the undertaking known as P-75 India ends in August. The defence ministry is prone to finalise the winner of the contract by the top of this yr or early subsequent yr, officers mentioned.
In line with the settlement, Navantia would perform the design of P75(I) submarines based mostly on its S80 class of submarines, the primary of which was launched in 2021 and is present process sea trials previous to its supply to Spanish Navy on the finish of 2023.
Aside from S80 class, Navantia has been concerned within the design and building of Scorpne class of submarines along with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia.
Navantia has additionally been concerned within the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) inbuilt India together with handholding of the Indian yard.
Talking on the event, Subrahmanyan mentioned his firm is proud to collaborate with Navantia for this prestigious programme of strategic significance for the nation’s safety.
“Navantia’s superb 300-year-old monitor report in naval building and technical experience offers us a aggressive benefit on this programme and provide the Bio-Ethanol Stealth Expertise (BEST) and environmentally Inexperienced AIP resolution,” he mentioned.
“We’re dedicated to offering probably the most modern resolution for Indian Navy’s necessities at a aggressive value,” the L&T CEO mentioned.
Alvarez Blanco mentioned, “It offers us nice pleasure to be able to be the design and expertise companion for P75(I). We’re additionally in collaboration with L&T for the Touchdown Platform Dock (LPD) programme whose tender is eagerly awaited.”
“With these two prestigious programmes for the Indian Navy, Navantia is proud to be making a key contribution in the direction of fulfilling the defence wants of India, a nation with which Spain shares a superb relationship,” he added.
