France ready to offer naval SCALP missile with three Scorpene subs to India as Modi visits

In addition to offering to build three more Scorpene-class submarines for the Indian Navy at the Mazagon shipyard in Mumbai, France has also agreed to arm the submarine equipped with an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) sea-guided missile that has twice the air range of the SCALP. a surface-to-surface missile carried by Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale fighter jets.

The naval version, upgraded from the SCALP missile, has a range of over 1,000 kilometers when launched from a submarine and up to 1,400 kilometers when launched from a warship. The jet-powered missile is subsonic and stays below the surface before soaring into the sky as it closes in on the target and then destroys a potential enemy threat on the ground.

The missile has been used by the French Navy on board its frigates since 2017 and on board its Barracuda-class submarines since 2022. The missile can also be used on Scorpene-class submarines after slight technical modifications to the torpedo tubes.

While Indian Navy officials and diplomats have seen a performance of the naval SCALP in France, it is understood that the missile maker is willing to manufacture the cruise weapon in India under the 'Make in India' process.

The decision to build three more submarines at MDL was taken as the entire process for the Indian Navy's Project 75 I will take at least 15 years or more. The time lag can be estimated from the fact that the decision to produce six Scorpene (Kalveri) class submarines was taken when Atal Bihari Vajapee was the Prime Minister and George Fernandes was the Defense Minister in 1999.

The sixth submarine will be delivered to the Indian Navy in 2024, a quarter of a century later , the 30-year-old submarine program was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Vajpayee.