Govt clears construction of 2 N-powered subs

New Delhi: The government has also approved the construction of two indigenously designed nuclear attack submarines and is expected to ink contracts to procure three Scorpene submarines, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said on Monday. The Indian Navy is tweaking its strategy to "negate" any infringement in its area of operations and "we are fully ready to tackle all threats from our neighbours", he asserted. 

The Navy Chief said India will induct around 95 ships in the next 10 years as the focus has been to build a future-ready naval force by 2047 that will consolidate India's resurgence as a maritime power and ensure credible deterrence.

On the Cabinet Committee on Security's approval to build two nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), Admiral Tripathi said the plan is to commission the first one by 2036-37 and the second one in about two years from then. The SSNs will add huge capability to the Navy, he said in the first such comments by a top government official on the strategically crucial project.