Spain's Submarine Declared Compliant for Navy Deal worth Rs 43,000 Cr, Trials to Begin Soon: Reports

New Delhi: Spain's submarine has been given the green light for a massive deal with the Indian Navy. The deal, worth a whopping Rs 43,000 crore, is set to move forward as the submarine has been declared technically compliant, according to media reports. This means that it meets all the necessary requirements and is ready for further testing.

Amparo Valcarce, Spain’s Secretary of State for Defence, shared this update with an Indian newspaper. She mentioned that Spain is not only interested in supplying submarines but also in collaborating on producing ammunition and missiles. The submarine deal for the Indian Navy’s Project 75I is for the acquisition of six submarines. These submarines will be built in India, which will further help the Indian defence ecosystem assimilate more knowledge and understanding of submarine making . The joint bid by L&T and Navantia (Spain) has been given the green light to move to the trial stage.

AIP Integration to Begin Soon  

Valcarce explained that the next step involves testing the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) of the submarine design. L&T and Navantia are working towards starting these trials in the coming months. This is a crucial phase as it will prove the submarine's, possibly the S-80 plus class, ability to stay underwater for extended periods, a key requirement for the Indian Navy.

The German firm ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is also vying for the contract with the Spanish government-owned company Navantia. Despite earlier speculation, Navantia is ready to undergo trials, reports added.

Not only Subs or Planes but More 

During her visit to India, Valcarce met with senior government officials to discuss further cooperation. She assured them of Spain's willingness to meet all technology transfer requirements and support the project fully. Spain sees India as a ‘crucial partner’ in ensuring stability in the Indo-Pacific region. As per claims, in addition to the submarine deal, Spain is also interested in participating in the construction of landing platform docks (LPDs) for the Indian Navy. The Spainyards want to collaborate with an Indian partner to manufacture these locally. 

Valcarce also, during her conversation with Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane  spoke about ongoing cooperation between the two countries, such as the manufacturing of C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force. This project demonstrated Spain's ability and willingness to transfer technology, with the majority of the planes set to be made in India. “Both sides reviewed the ongoing projects and discussed future joint plans in the maritime and air domains. They appreciated the increased interaction at the business-to-business level between the defence industries of both countries, including an ongoing visit from the Spanish defence industry association TEDAE to India," an official statement from the Indian Defence Ministry said following Valcarce ‘s visit.