Newsletter navale

Après la perte de 2 sous-marins en moins d’un an et un processus d’acquisition de nouveaux sous-marins au point mort, la marine indienne plaçait tous ses espoirs dans la construction de 6 sous-marins Scorpène, dans le cadre d’un transfert de technologies avec DCNS. Le projet est sur le point de connaître un nouveau revers conduisant à un 4è report consécutif de la livraison des sous-marins.

Le chantier naval indien Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), qui construit les sous-marins avec l’assistance de DCNS, a déclaré que des éléments d’une importance critique devant être fournis par DCNS, n’ont pas été livrés alors que la date prévue est dépassée. Fait aggravant : les pièces attendues concernent toutes les sections du sous-marin, et leur absence devrait affecter l’avancement de la construction.

Le calendrier de livraison actuel a été fixé en novembre 2012 et les commandes de ces pièces ont été faites selon ce calendrier. Il prévoit que l’admission au service actif du 1er sous-marin doit avoir lieu en septembre 2016 et que les 5 autres doivent suivre avec un intervalle de 9 mois. C’est ce calendrier qui est maintenant remis en cause.

De son côté, MDL a terminé la construction des 6 coques et a fait des progrès dans l’équipement du 1er.

Le contre-amiral Rahul Shrawat, directeur de MDL a indiqué : « Au départ, ce projet a été retardé parce que des équipements devant être achetés par MDL ne l’avaient pas été à temps. A la suite d’une revue du projet, ce matériel a été acheté. Parmi ces équipements, certains sont arrivés, d’autres n’ont pas été livré alors que la date prévue est dépassée. Je suis forcé d’absorber les retards et, dans certains cas, je défais ce que j’ai fait parce que les pièces n’ont pas été livrées. » Il ajoute que le ministère de la défense a été informé de ce problème et DCNS a été pressée de livrer. « Si les livraisons de ces pièces interviennent aujourd’hui, je peux encore livrer le sous-marin à temps, » a-t-il expliqué. Interrogé sur l’éventualité d’une révision du calendrier de livraison, sa réponse a été : « je ne peux faire aucun commentaire tant que les pièces n’ont pas été livrées. »

Le premier des Scorpène serait prêt à être lancé en septembre 2015. Après un an d’essais, impliquant tous les systèmes dont des lancements d’armes, il devrait être prêt pour l’admission au service, soit en septembre 2016. « Les travaux se poursuivent 24 heures sur 24, 7 jours sur 7 sur le chantier, et nous sommes très motivés. Je croise les doigts, » a-t-il ajouté.

Cette semaine, le ministre indien de la défense Arun Jaitley a visité le chantier. Il n’a fait aucun commentaire sur la situation. Des sources haut placées ont confirmé qu’elles étaient informées sur le sujet et qu’elles agissaient.

India Today a contacté DCNS à Paris pour obtenir des explications sur ce retards. Ses emails sont restés sans réponse. Elle a été informée que les hauts responsables de DCNS étaient « en voyage ».

La construction des sous-marins n’est pas le seul problème

Alors que la construction des sous-marins est affectée par des retards, ce n’est pas le seul problème que rencontre le projet.

La marine indienne souhaite équiper ces sous-marins de la torpille Black Shark. Pourtant, aucun contrat n’a été conclu à ce jour. Ce blocage est la conséquence d’une escroquerie dans un autre contrat, pour la livraison d’hélicoptères. La torpille Black Shark est fabriquée par WASS, une filiale du groupe Finmeccanica, constructeur des hélicoptères en question. Ce n’est qu’au début de cette semaine que le ministère de la défense a finalement débloqué le contrat, mais il n’a pas encore été officiellement attribué.

La marine indienne souhaite aussi équiper les 5è et 6è Scorpène d’une propulsion anaérobie, qui permet au sous-marin de rester plus longtemps en plongée. C’est la Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) qui a été chargée des recherches et de la fabrication, et la marine indienne reste dans l’incertitude. Des sources de la DRDO ont expliqué que « c’est un système de très haute technologie et un véritable défi. Nous y travaillons et nous espérons pouvoir respecter l’échéance fixée par la marine. »

Project 75 is one of India's most closely guarded military projects, almost as inaccessible to outsiders as the nuclear ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant, nearing completion in Visakhapatnam.
In a giant shed in the East Yard of Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai (MDL), a 200-feet-long, cigar-shaped, metal cylinder is the first of six conventionally powered Scorpene submarines that the Indian Navy contracted to build with Franco-Spanish company, Armaris (since taken over by French shipbuilding major, DCNS).
The boat (as submariners call their vessels) is obviously close to completion - a small remaining gap at the rear will be filled by the section that holds the engine. Nearby, a second Scorpene is taking shape, metallic rings being welded together to form a hull. In the shed next door, a third vessel is racing towards completion.
Hundreds of MDL workmen swarm over the scaffolding that encases the three submarines, overseen by 25-30 French experts from DCNS. They are fitting the wiring, piping and combat systems that must function silently and efficiently in the most taxing underwater conditions.
Business Standard has repeatedly applied to visit this facility but has been turned down each time. The description above comes from a trusted source, with intimate access to the Scorpene project. The ministry of defence (MoD) discourages the media after years of negative publicity over a project running four years late.
Yet, MDL's current chairman, Rear Admiral (Retired) Rahul Shrawat - who inherited the Scorpene delay when he assumed charge of MDL - is upbeat. He promises the first submarine by September 2016, and to deliver the next five Scorpenes at nine-month intervals rather than the one-year intervals contracted.
Speaking to Business Standard, Shrawat promised: "We will launch the first Scorpene by September 2015 and deliver it to the navy within a year, i.e. by September 2016. The subsequent boats will be delivered at nine-month intervals, with the sixth and final vessel joining the fleet by June 2020.
Shrawat admits this is an aggressive timeline without any buffers for unexpected delays. As Business Standard first reported (Scorpene tangled in govt web, December 19, 2009) Project 75 was delayed by a sloppy Rs 18,798 crore contract that made MDL responsible for buying Rs 2,700 crore worth of Scorpene internal equipment from DCNS. When MDL ordered, DCNS cited inflation to raise the price to Rs 4,700 crore. The ensuing negotiations, and the lengthy processes for fresh government sanctions for added costs, caused over two years of delay.
"Many significant items are yet to be delivered to us, even for the first submarine. This is a big criticality but we will meet the challenge," says Shrawat confidently.
The Scorpene delay is part of a critical shortfall of operational submarines with the navy. The fleet has just 10 Sindhughosh-class (Russian Kilo-class) submarines, and four Shishumar-class (German HDW) submarines, of which just 9-10 were operational at any time. The availability fell to 7-8 after two recent submarine accidents - the sinking of INS Sindhurakshak in Mumbai after a cataclysmic explosion on board that killed 18 crewmembers last August; and a fire on board INS Sindhuratna in February that killed two officers and led to the resignation of the navy chief.
Even so, Project 75 has created confidence about MDL's new ability to build submarines. The shipyard is readying to build a second line of six submarines under the new Project 75I, worth an estimated Rs 50,000 crore ($8.25 billion). Government sanction is being processed for Project 75I.
Rather than floating a global tender for Project 75I, Shrawat wants to take advantage of the experience and expertise gained during Project 75. Instead of having a fourth type of submarine in the navy's fleet (in addition to the Kilo-class; HDW and Scorpene), MDL sees the benefit in a more modern Scorpene with air independent propulsion (AIP) and land-attack missiles that the Project 75 vessels lack. Only the last two Project 75 vessels are slated to have AIP.
"Most naval policymakers would not consider it prudent to have a fourth type of conventional submarine in the fleet. I'm sure the government will feel the same. So, why not build more Scorpenes; improved with AIP and land attack missiles," says Shrawat.
The defence ministry, led by A K Antony for the last eight years, consistently shrank from such decisions in favour of a single vendor, preferring the path of open tendering even when it created operational drawbacks, like a multiplicity of platforms. The next government's orientation will be keenly watched.
Another key factor in the Project 75I decision would be the willingness of foreign governments to supply submarines equipped with land attack missiles. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MACRO) proscribes the transfer of missiles with ranges of 300 km and more.
Meanwhile, Indian defence shipyards are jostling fiercely for a share of Project 75I. The navy wants two submarines built abroad and inducted quickly into service, with the remaining four being built by MDL and the newly acquired defence shipyard, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL). But L&T cites its key role in building the nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, to argue that it should build at least one Project 75I submarine.

The INS Kolkata, lead ship in the Kolkata-class stealth destroyers, was handed over to the Indian Navy on Thursday after extensive sea trials and tests, 11 years after the construction began in 2003 at the Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL). The ships are the second group of three indigenously built stealth warships after the Shivalik-class boats, while the official commissioning ceremony is expected to take place in a month’s time.

The same ship had seen naval engineer Commander Kuntal Wadhwa lose his life after a prolonged exposure to CO2 gas on March 6, suspected to be caused by a malfunctioning fire fighting system. “The ship has finished construction with all user acceptance trials, sea trials and testing of the weapons systems completed. The ship will still be called Yard 701 but designated the INS Kolkata after the commissioning ceremony,” said Rear Admiral (retired) R.K. Shrawat, MDL’s chief managing director.

Most importantly, the naval version of the Brahmos cruise missile was also fired from the ship off the coast of Karwar about a month ago, to prove the boat’s and weapon handling system. “The purpose was to test the ship’s capability to withstand the missile, but not the missile itself,” said an MDL source. The main feature of the ship, however, according to naval officers, is the ‘multi-function radar’, the first of its kind in the country. “It is more in tune with modern naval warfare technologies than the stealth feature,” said an officer.

The Indian Navy can come back with technical complaints or suggesting modifications by availing the one-year guarantee period in the next 12 months, in the event of which Form D448 would be invoked. Sources, however, said that all technical issues were raised by the IN team, liaisoning with the MDL, during the construction phase itself.

Meanwhile, two other sister ships of the class, INS Kochi and INS Chennai are undergoing construction with the handing over to the IN slated to be in late 2014 and mid-2015 respectively.