Mahindra Defence contracted to supply 14 IADSs to Indian Navy

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 27 August that it awarded local company Mahindra Defence Systems Limited an INR13.5 billion (USD184.1 million) contract for the supply of 14 ‘Integrated Anti-Submarine warfare Defence Suites' (IADSs) for deployment with ‘modern' Indian Navy (IN) warships.

The IADSs, which will feature “an integrated capability for detecting enemy submarines and torpedoes at extended ranges as well as diverting incoming torpedoes fired by enemy submarines”, will be acquired under the ‘Buy and Make (Indian)' category of the MoD's Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, the Indian government's Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a statement.

The PIB noted that the acquisition of the equipment will also provide “a major fillip to indigenous defence industry in technology, development, and production” as part of New Delhi's ‘Make in India' initiative.

In a separate statement, Mahindra Defence Systems said the IADS can be deployed with small, medium, and large warships, adding that this is the first major contract awarded by the MoD to a private-sector company for the supply of underwater detection and protection equipment.

“This advanced technology system is the first of its kind being developed by an Indian company for [the] Indian Navy,” said the company. It added that it qualified for the tender by “proving the capability of the system through comprehensive testing by the Indian MoD in actual operations at sea before being declared as winner on commercial bid”.

No further details were provided about the IADS or the delivery timeline. However, in June 2013 the IN's Directorate of Staff Requirements had issued a request for information stating that it was seeking an IADS that could be fully integrated with a towed array sonar, an anti-torpedo decoy system, and an associated fire-control system.