Five years after the purchase plan was finalized, Indian Navy may have to use torpedoes which being used in its older submarines as an interim solution for the two French-origin submarines Kalvari and Khanderi. Both submarines may be operationalized this year without its primary weapon.
"There will be some alternate torpedoes as an interim solution. The heavyweight torpedoes will take some time. Those which are already in use in other platform will be used in these (Kalvari class) submarines," said a senior Navy official. German SUT torpedo is currently used in Indian Navy's HDW Shishumar-class diesel-electric submarines. French F-21 is also in the contest for supplying torpedoes to Scorpene class submarines. Sources told Sputnik that the selection of new heavyweight torpedoes will take another four to five years.
India's Defense Ministry had put on hold a $200 Million deal of 98 Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes from Italian firm WASS for its Scorpene class submarines. The deal was scrapped in the wake of corruption charges involving AgustaWestland and an Indian political party. WASS and AgustaWestland are subsidiaries of Italian firm Leonardo. Black Shark Torpedoes was to be an essential part and primary weapon of India's six new Scorpene submarines.
India is building six Scorpene class submarines at cost of $ 3.5 billion under Project 75 which is already delayed by four years.
