NEW DELHI: The Navy now wants its Scorpene killer submarines, which will be armed with lethal Exocet sea-skimming missiles and wire-guided torpedoes, to acquire a knockout punch.
This can come with the installation of Mesma air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems in the last three of the six Scorpenes which will roll out of Mumbai's Mazagaon Docks between 2012 and 2017, as per the mammoth $3.5-billion contract signed with French companies on October 6.
The AIP system significantly enhances a conventional diesel-electric submarine's operational capabilities, narrowing the gap with nuclear submarines which can operate silently underwater for virtually unlimited periods.
A Scorpene, for instance, can operate underwater for four days without surfacing or snorkelling to get oxygen to recharge its batteries. With AIP, it will be able to operate for 18 days, giving it a huge strategic advantage.
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