This will be the first capital warship
contract since Project 17A was signed in early 2015 (above: INS Teg)
By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 26th Feb 18
New Delhi and Moscow have finalised
contractual terms for four new stealth frigates that Russia will supply the
Indian Navy for slightly over Rs 20,000 crore ($3 billion), or about Rs 5,000
crore ($775 million) per vessel.
Designated the “Upgraded Krivak III-class”,
the first two frigates will be built in Yantar Shipyard, in Kaliningrad,
Russia. The following two will be built in Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) with
technology and designs transferred by Yantar. Delivery will begin within four
years of signing the contract.
With a defence ministry “cost negotiation
committee” having hammered out terms, it remains for the finance ministry and
the cabinet to clear what will be the first capital warship contract signed
since Project 17A was contracted in early-2015.
The navy already operates six Krivak III
frigates. The first three joined the fleet between June 2003 and April 2004,
followed by another three between April 2012 and June 2013. With the current
contract, the navy will operate ten Krivak III frigates – the fleet’s largest
single type.
The Krivak III costs marginally less than
the Rs 5,750 crore ($888 million) that the navy will pay for each of seven
indigenous frigates that Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai (MDL) and Garden Reach
Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata (GRSE) have been contracted to build under
Project 17A.
However, tonne-for-tonne, the indigenous
frigates are cheaper. Each displaces about 5,600 tonnes fully loaded, significantly
more muscular than the 4,000-tonne Krivak III. Further, each Project 17A
frigate has space for two multi-role helicopters, while the smaller Krivak III
embarks just a single Kamov-31 chopper. An extra helicopter provides major
advantages in anti-submarine operations and airborne early warning.
Even so, with MDL, GRSE and GSL already stretched
to capacity, navy planners are satisfied that Yantar is meeting India’s urgent
need for more capital warships. The navy is also pleased with how the Krivak
III fleet has performed over time.
New Delhi wanted to build all four Krivak
III frigates in GSL under “Make in India”. However, Yantar had already
part-built two frigates for the Russian Navy, which then backed away for lack
of funds. New Delhi has obliged Moscow by buying them.
The part-built frigates at Yantar are also
stalled by a defence embargo that Ukraine imposed on Russia after the latter
annexed the Crimea. New Delhi, which has close defence relations with Ukraine,
has undertaken to procure and provide Yantar the Zorya turbines that will power
them.
The agreed terms stipulate a certain level
of Indian-isation for the first two vessels that Yantar will deliver, and a
significantly higher level for the next two vessels that are to be built in
Goa.
For GSL, building a vessel as complex as a
frigate will require upgrading its facilities and skills. However, naval
planners say GSL should not take long to learn, having recently undergone the
experience of building missile corvettes that are similarly dense in weapons
and sensors.
These new Krivak III frigates will have the
same engines and armament configuration as Yantar’s last three frigates – INS
Teg, Tarkash and Trikand. These include the vaunted BrahMos anti-ship and land
attack missile.
Senior naval planners underline the advantages
of negotiating a “follow-on” contract, i.e. for vessels similar to those
procured earlier. While it took six months to negotiate the contract for the
Teg, Tarkash and Trikand, negotiations for the current contract took just 45
days to negotiate and finalise.
The navy’s medium term plans envisage
increasing warship strength from the current 140-odd, to 198 warships by 2027.
This will require adding 5-6 warships annually.
While some 75 vessels of various types are
in the navy’s procurement pipeline, there remains a worrying shortfall of frigates,
which are the navy’s workhorses. “We need to have at least 24 frigates.
Currently we are ten short”, says a senior admiral.
There are better ways to spend money to ensure our maritime security than ordering Frigates.
ReplyDeleteIt could have been possible to deny China a port situated on an important shipping lane for the price tag of less than these Frigates.
We are all aware that China Merchants Port Holdings, signed a deal with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for a 70 percent stake in the Hambantota port. The deal, valued at $1.1 billion, was necessary to chip away Lankan debt. There is speculation that if India had stepped in with an outright grant of half the amount $600 million, China would not have obtained control of the port.
Similarly there are several projects which India promised Nepal which were stalled by India, Example: the year after year of the promise of a Police academy (now built by China) had become a joke, so were the promise of a road infrastructure and other development commitments made by India to Nepal, which never materialised.
In Bhutan there is ill feeling about the price India has negotiated for electricity from Bhutan’s hydro electric projects, even if India gave loans for these.
Our neighbour Bangladesh is currently facing a 400 million refugee inflow but India has been less than generous about sending funds. It is shocking than India has not stepped in with adequate humanitarian help, considering the enormity of the crises Bangladesh faces.
My point is that ensuring the goodwill of our neighbourhood, so important for our security, could have gone a long way if given the money being spent on these frigates.
Ironical that our Navy makes grandiose plans for a presence at the straits of Malacca when the Chinese war ships will soon be at our doorstep dominating the Gulf shipping lanes at Hambantota.
Sir you seem so logical. please identity yourself. Nikhil agarwal. nikhilag4u@gmail.com
DeleteThank god, some modernisation is moving. The good thing is it is a follow on order with more firepower. The training costs will boe lower.
ReplyDeleteNow we need to make similar deals for mine sweepers, medium anti sub helicopters and Subs.
Get them inducted quickly
With a defence ministry “cost negotiation committee” having hammered out terms, it remains for the finance ministry and the cabinet to clear what will be the first capital warship contract signed since Project 17A was contracted in early-2015.
ReplyDeleteWill wait for an official announcement from the GoI to believe it; when it comes to Russia these days, things tend to not happen more often than they happen! Hoever, if the purchase indeed goes through, this'll the first 'platform' buy from Russia since 2012 (last batch of Su-30 MKI).
However, tonne-for-tonne, the indigenous frigates are cheaper.
That does beg questions about this buy. Indian sipyard backlog simply does not cut ice; growing Chinese Naval threat is a flimsy reason to accelerate purchases and that too from China's strategic ally, Russia!
New Delhi wanted to build all four Krivak III frigates in GSL under “Make in India”. However, Yantar had already part-built two frigates for the Russian Navy, which then backed away for lack of funds. New Delhi has obliged Moscow by buying them.
That is very lazy journalism, Ajai. Nobody obliges anyone in geopolitics. If not you, someone else or some event will surely shed light on the real drivers behind this deal.
I think these are two different issues. How does one explain India hosting more than 25 million Bangladeshi citizens on its soil. Should Bangladesh be unhappy about that.vor for that matter, millions of Nepalis. If distributing money to neighbours would ward off adversaries than the world would be a different place. That is also worthy of consideration but defence capability, that takes decades to build, is absolutely necessary for country's security.
ReplyDeleteNSR says -
ReplyDeleteDoes the total price includes the cost of two helicopters for each ship?
Any Indian hardware or software going into these ships?
Thank you.
Now we need to close 6 follow on Scorpene submarines with AIP so that the Indian Navy submarine deficiency is taken care of. With the last 3 set to be delivered in the next 18 months, time is running out.
ReplyDeleteThe HDW chapter where the MDL line was allowed to lie idle and all the acquired skills were lost should not be repeated.
Thank you for publishing my comment.
ReplyDeleteI said that “Bangladesh faced an inflow of 400 million refugees”
This off course should be 400 thousand refugees.
we have been taken for a ride by the russians. don't understand how the price more than doubled from the previous lot India bought? we have succumbed to their pressure tactic and are forced to cough up so that we get another Akula class SSN. why did we not think of expanding order of P17A? at 3 Bil we could have got 3 more frigates built in our yards.
ReplyDeletemore important is we need S400 and Ka226T from them rather than these vessels. and whatever little capital budget was increased will be used for these orders....