L&T, Spain’s Navantia team up to bid for 6 submarines contract.

Larsen & Toubro and Navantia of Spain recently signed a teaming agreement (TA) to participate in a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s six P75 (India) submarine programme expected to be valued at $5.8 billion.

The TA was signed at the Spanish Embassy here to meet the deadline of the Request for Proposal (RFP) floated by the Ministry of Defence for six submarines which was earlier extended to August. The other bidder is defence PSU Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders which has tied up with Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

The L&T officially stated that as per the agreement, Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy at the end of this year. The construction part of the submarine would most likely be done by the L&T.

Navantia, stated the L&T, has been involved in design and construction of Scorpene class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France. The Spanish defence firm has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India including hand-holding of the Indian yard, pointed out the L&T.

HBL