The Navies of India and Brazil, both of which operate the French Scorpene class submarines, are exploring options for collaboration towards maintenance of the diesel-electric attack submarines, the Navy said on Tuesday. A Brazilian Navy delegation was at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai, where this issue was extensively discussed.
“Yes, discussions are under way between the two sides. It is an area both sides want to explore,” diplomatic sources told The Hindu.
Common interest
The Brazilian Navy delegation led by Vice Admiral Liberal Enio Zanelatto, Director of Industrial Production and Engineering, called on Vice- Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.
“The two senior officers discussed various issues of common interest, including defence and submarine technology, ‘Make in India’, initiatives towards professional cooperation between the Navies, and the outlook of the Indian Navy towards shared maritime interests with all like-minded Navies/nations,” the Navy said in a statement.
During the two-day visit, the Brazilian delegation held “extensive discussions” with the Indian counterparts with focus on “maintenance of submarines”, the Navy said, adding that the delegation also visited Mazagon Docks Shipbuilders Ltd. and a Kalvari (Scorpene) class submarine of the Indian Navy.
India has inducted four of the six Scorpene submarines contracted from France, being manufactured locally with assistance from Naval Group. The 5th submarine is in advanced stages of sea trials while the last one was recently launched into water and is expected to join the Navy by the middle of next year.
The Brazilian Navy also operates four Scorpene class submarines and is currently in the process of building a nuclear attack submarine (SSN) with assistance from France. India, which has leased SSNs in the past from Russia, is in the process of indigenously building SSNs while it already operates nuclear ballistic submarines (SSBN).
Brazil previously entered into negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency over safeguards for the use of nuclear fuel for the submarine program.
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