Big preparations for ‘self-reliant India’… MARCOS will destroy enemies in the sea, Navy will buy submarines

Now under the ‘Self-reliant India’ campaign, the Navy is once again moving forward with mini submarines. Mini submarines will give the Indian Navy a huge strategic edge for special operations in coastal areas, island areas and sensitive maritime areas. According to sources, there is a plan to procure two submarines in the initial phase, but in future the Indian Navy can induct five or more such mini submarines.

The Indian Navy is moving towards the purchase of two mini submarines (Midget Submarines) to strengthen its special maritime operations capabilities. For this, the Navy has started talks with many defense companies of Europe. These submarines will be used by naval special forces MARCOS (Marine Commandos) for covert operations, reconnaissance missions and special operations in enemy territory.

According to sources, these mini submarines will work as “Swimmer Delivery Vehicle” (SDV) or “Special Operations Vessel” (SOV). With their help, MARCOS commandos will be able to silently approach the target from under the sea, carry out the mission and return without any clue.

Talks started with two major shipbuilding companies

The Indian Navy has also started talks with two major shipbuilding companies of the country – Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for this project. MDL has developed a prototype called “Arowana”, while L&T has designed the SOV-400. Apart from this, designs of many European companies including Italian defense companies Fincantieri and Drass are also being considered. The Navy is evaluating these foreign and indigenous options on the basis of their technical capability, operations in shallow sea areas and special forces requirements.

What are mini submarines like?

Mini submarines are much smaller than normal war submarines. Their weight can range from 150 to 550 tonnes and they are capable of carrying 8 to 20 commandos. These have low noise generation technology, modern sensors and the ability to operate easily in shallow sea areas. The need for such submarines in India was first felt after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. However, the procurement process, which began in 2009, could not proceed due to several technical and partnership-related challenges.