India will call foreigners to build stealth corvettes

21.12.2009
Indian Navy intends to issue a tender on construction stealth ASW corvettes under project 28 by the end of 2009, writes The Business Standard. Foreign companies will participate in the tender which winner is to provide technology of composite hull to Indian shipbuilding company GRSE.

It is expected that tenderers will be Swedish shipyard Kockums, Greek Intermarine and South Korean Kangnam Corporation. Those companies will receive appropriate letters from Indian Navy in the nearest future. According to preliminary information, Kockums is considered a tender's favorite as this company is engaged in construction of stealth corvettes Visby.

Displacement of Visby-class corvettes makes 650 tonnes; length is 72.6 meters; beam is 10.4 meters; operating range is 2,300 miles; maximum speed is 35 knots. Visby corvettes are armed with one multipurpose 57-mm gun, eight RBS-15 Mk2 missiles and depth charge launchers. The ship has a heliport for one helicopter.

According to preliminary information, displacement of Indian ASW corvettes will make 2,500 tonnes. Composite materials are applicable only for the third and further ships as the first corvette is 90% completed and the second is ready on 80%. The cost of four corvettes under project 28 is evaluated as 7,000 Swedish kronas ($1.5 bln).

Development of the corvettes started in 2003 and the lead ship was supposed to be delivered as early as in March 2006. However, due to repeated changes in construction at design phase delivery date of the lead ship was postponed to 2012.

Source: Lenta.Ru, photo: Visby corvettes (defencetalk.com)