India enlists French help to install AIP in Scorpene submarines
The very first Scorpene produced for the Indian Navy, INS Kalvari, will be fitted with an AIP system. (Photo: Indian Navy)
India has taken an interesting step to add indigenously developed air-independent propulsion to its Scorpene/Kalvari submarines.
Indo-French defence cooperation was boosted on 23 January with an agreement to fit the Defence Research & Development Organisation’s (DRDO) fuel cell-based air-independent propulsion (AIP) system on INS Kalvari.
Work on this Scorpene submarine, commissioned in 2017, will occur when it comes in for a retrofit.
As part of the agreement, Naval Group will extend cooperation for the detailed design phase for integration, and certify the indigenous AIP in six Kalvari-class submarines.
It is likely an acceptance of necessity will be released for three more to be fitted with the DRDO’s AIP.
A Naval Group spokesperson told Shephard
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