Govt clears deals worth Rs 80k cr for 2 nuclear submarines, Predator drones

In a mega boost for the Indian Navy and surveillance capabilities of the defence forces, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the major deals for building two nuclear submarines indigenously and buying 31 Predator drones from the US.

As per the plans, the Indian Navy will get two nuclear-powered attack submarines which will help boost its capabilities manifold in the Indian Ocean Region, top sources told ANI.

The deal for building the two submarines at the Ship Building Centre in Vishakhapatnam will be around Rs 45,000 crore and will see a major involvement of private sector firms like Larsen and Toubro, they said.

The deal had been hanging fire for a long time and the Indian Navy had been pushing it as it was a critical requirement for filling the underwater capability gaps.

India has plans of having six such boats in the long run as part of its submarine induction plans.

These boats which are going to be built under the ambitious Project Advanced Technology Vessel project, are separate from the five nuclear submarines being built under the Arihant class at the same location.

The other mega deal cleared today by the Cabinet Committee on Security is for the acquisition of 31 Predator drones from American General Atomics under a Foreign Military Sales contract between the two governments.

The deal had to be cleared before October 31 as the validity of the American proposal was till that time and now it is going to be signed in the next few days only.

As per the contract, the defence forces will start getting the drones over four years after signing the deal, they said.

The Indian Navy will get 15 of the 31 drones while the Army and the Indian Air Force will get eight each and also deploy them together at two bases in Uttar Pradesh.

Indian equipment made by DRDO and private sector firm Solar Industries may be used as the Make in India element on the 31 drones which are expected to be game changers in peacetime surveillance.