Upgrades At Last: Keeping India’s U209 Subs Afloat

INS Shishumar
(click to view larger)

India’s Navy will be hard-pressed to keep an adequate submarine force afloat over the medium term. Its 6 “Project 75” Scorpene Class submarines won’t begin deploying before 2019, 2 of its 10 aging Kilo Class boats have been wrecked, and its 4 U209 submarines are quickly approaching the end of their useful lives.

Nevertheless, if submarine strength is to be maintained while waiting for the Scorpenes, it’s the U209s that are going to have to fill the numbers gap…

DARPA Seeks Robotic Spacecraft for Orbital Relocations

• DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office (TTO) is asking for information [FBO RFI] on who might help develop robotic servicers to be deployed in and near geostationary Earth orbit for spacecraft inspection and relocation jobs. They’d like to know whether a commercial on-orbit robotic service sector could eventually become self-sustaining so that the government doesn’t have to foot the whole bill. Volunteers to jumpstart UhaulX should send their thoughts to the agency before November 3rd.

• USNAVSEA released a draft RFP [FBO] for a full and open competition to procure Main Reduction Gear (MRG) shipsets and assemblies for DDG 51 Class destroyers, following an industry day in October last year.