New Delhi. In the prevailing scenario of external threat, the government has plans on the anvil to boost the Indian Navy’s firepower for which the Defence Ministry has issued a tender worth over Rs 2000 crore for buying around 100 heavyweight torpedoes which would be equipped on the force’s six Scorpene-class submarines being built at the Mumbai-based Mazagon dockyards.
“The tender for acquiring around 100 heavyweight torpedoes for the submarines for the Indian Navy was issued 10 days ago by the Defence Ministry,” Ministry officials said.
According to plans, the immediate requirement of the Navy for heavyweight torpedoes would be met by the acquisition to be made through foreign vendors while the long-term bulk requirement would be fulfilled through the ‘Made in India’ route.
The DRDO is also looking forward to using heavyweight torpedo as the next version of its light torpedoes for submarines and surface ships.
Global manufacturers from France, Sweden, Russia and Germany have been issued tenders for the heavyweight torpedoes for the Navy.
Italian firm Wass’ Blackshark torpedoes were earlier selected for the project but the programme had to be cancelled due to the involvement of scam-tainted Finmeccanica group in the VVIP chopper scam.
