Barracuda tech might attract the interest of Indian Navy, not the submarine

Source : IDRW NEWS NETWORK

New Generation Pumpjet Propulsion of Nuclear Attack Submarine (File Photo)

French Defense Minister Florence Parly is in India and a major push will come for fresh orders for Rafale jets but reports also indicate that France will offer its Barracuda Nuclear-Attack Class submarine to India but people who are familiar with the French offer say that is not the case. French offer is limited to the conventional technology that they are keen to supply to India’s Nuclear-Attack Class submarine that is under design stage.

The Navy is keen to acquire a pump-jet propulsion system that the French seem to have mastered due to successive submarine programs in the country that have adopted this next-gen propulsion technology. France is not offering any collaboration on the development of a 190MW pressurized water reactor (PWR) that the Navy plans to develop for India’s Nuclear-Attack Class submarine program.

190MW pressurized water reactor (PWR) design under development by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) with technical consultancy coming from Russia. 190MW PWR will be based on an Indian upgraded variant of the OK-650 PWR that currently powers Akula-class submarines in Russia.

BARC plans to develop a slightly detuned 190MW PWR also for India’s S5 Class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines that India plans to develop after completion of the S4 and S4* Class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines that are powered by the 83MW PWR that are also used on the Arihant Class boats.

Other than the pump-jet propulsion system, the Navy is also looking to procure some sensors and other systems but is keen to have most of the technology for the submarine built around the Indian system. Adopting Barracuda design to house Indo-Russian made pressurized water reactor will be a challenging task and the design of India’s Nuclear-Attack Class submarine will likely have more Russian influence than French but conventional technology can come from Russia, India, and France.

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