The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) have been granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to purchase 15 maritime patrol aircraft for about $3.5 billion. The Navy will purchase nine Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft while the ICG will purchase six Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMMA). These aircraft will be based on the Airbus C-295 transport, 56 of which had been earlier ordered by the Air Force. 40 of the 56 aircraft are to be made in India by Tata Advanced Systems. The bulk of the 15 MPAs will also be made in India, once the order is placed.
The Navy’s MRMR aircraft will be used for maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, maritime domain awareness, ELINT, COMINT and special operations, among others. The ICG MMMA will perform maritime surveillance and interdiction, pollution surveillance and search and rescue missions. Both MRMR and MMMA will feature multiple mission systems developed by DRDO, including an AESA maritime patrol radar, IFF system, EO/IR system, pollution surveillance suite, datalinks and armament.
The MRMR will have an endurance of about 4.5 hours at ranges of 400 nm and can operate at an altitude of 30,000 feet. These aircraft will enable the Navy to complement the long legged P-8I MPA fleet as well as the short range Do-228 aircraft. Given the high indigenous content and cost effectiveness of the MRMR as well as proposed acquisition of 15 SeaGuardian MALE UAVs and other uncrewed assets, it remains to be seen if Boeing’s efforts to market six additional P-8I MPAs for about $2.5 billion bears fruit.
The DAC has also granted AoN for procurement of Active Towed Array Sonars having capabilities to operate at low frequencies and various depths for long range detection of submarines. Multiple frontline Indian warships such as the Kamorta class ASW corvettes are expected to be equipped with these sonars, which will fill a critical capability gap. Vessels under construction such as the 16 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) also require such sonars.
AoN for procurement of Heavyweight Torpedoes for enhancing the offensive capabilities of Kalvari class submarines was also granted. Six of these Scorpene submarines have been built with the Navy expected to order three more submarines, which will be made by Mazagon Docks. A total of 48 torpedoes will be procured through a global tender and will partially fulfil the Navy’s net requirement until DRDO’s Electrical Heavyweight Torpedo completes trials.
A Navy proposal for support packages for MH-60 Romeo helicopters under Foreign Military Sale route with the US Government has also been approved. India had placed an order for 24 MH-60Rs in February 2020 for an estimated cost of $2.6 billion. The ICG will procure Software Defined Radios which will help establish high-speed communication with secure networking capability between the ICG and the Indian Navy units.
These proposals were among multiple deals worth over $10 billion that were approved by the DAC on February 16 for the Navy, ICG, Air Force and Army.
