Following today’s news (25 November) that the Indian Navy has commissioned its fourth Scorpene-class submarine;

Chandan Kumar Nayak, Aerospace & Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“Indian Navy’s induction of INS Vela, fourth Scorpène-class submarine (locally known as Kalvari-class), is a boost to its undersea prowess against the growing presence of Chinese submarines and surface vessels in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The Indian Navy will induct two more Scorpène-class submarines in the next few years to replace its ageing fleet of Sindhughosh-class (Kilo-class) and Shishumar-class (Type-209) submarines. These submarine acquisitions will also drive the procurement of various associated weapon systems including torpedoes, anti-ship, and land-attack missiles.

“Recently, India lifted a seven-year-long ban on Italian military firm Leonardo, which could lead to a potential procurement program for Leonardo’s Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes, a formidable weapon used from Scorpène-class submarines by worldwide operators.

“According to GlobalData’s report Global Submarine Market to 2031, India is expected to spend about US$23.5bn on procuring both conventional and nuclear submarines over the next ten years. Apart from countering the Chinese threat in IOR, Indian Navy is also trying to maintain its technological superiority over the Pakistan Navy which is set to receive eight advanced Type-039B AIP-equipped-submarines from China in the coming years. With the ongoing Scorpène-class submarine procurement program and an upcoming follow-on program known as Project-75I, India is looking to retain its subsurface edge in IOR over its two neighbors China and Pakistan.”