Defence Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday reviewed the progress of the prestigious Project 75 indigenous Scorpene submarine construction and other ongoing warship building projects, including the P-15B Class stealth destroyers.Jaitley was accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R.K. Dhowan during his visit to the Mazagon Docks Ltd., where Project 75 to construct six state-of-the-art submarines is currently underway in collaboration with M/s. DCNS, France.Considered a crucial project for the country and the Indian Navy, the project will give a massive fillip to India's indigenous submarine construction capability.
"With all the impediments and material hurdles resolved, the construction of the submarines is progressing on schedule to meet the planned delivery schedule of September 2016," an official statement said.Currently, three of the planned six submarines in the project are in the outfitting phase and the systems of the first submarine are being set to work.The Project 75 is being reviewed regularly at all levels by the central government and the naval headquarters to gear up for the launch of the first submarine in September next year (2015).Similarly, preparations to induct these submarines are also underway and the selected crew has commenced training.
The submarine fleet will initially be based in Mumbai, and after completion of trials, they would be later shifted to the operational base in Karwar.For this, the government has given the priority to create associated shore support facilities as per the Long Term Infrastructure Perspective Plan.Duirng his visit, Jaitley also inaugurated the Mazdock Modernisation Project (MMP), which will greatly enhance the warship and submarine capability of Mazagaon Dock Ltd.The Rs.8 billion MMP, being carried out with M/s. Haskoning Nederland BV as a consultant, will see the creation of a new Wet basin with level-luffing cranes, 300-tonne Goliath crane, module workshop, stores building, shipyard transporter and a cradle and assembly shop at MDL.