By Admin 
To increase the firepower of Indian Navy’s submarines, the Defense Ministry has signed an agreement to purchase 48 torpedoes from an Italian company. The total value of this deal is Rs 1896 crore. The special thing is that this company was once a part of the Italian company linked to the VVIP helicopter (Agusta Westland) scam.
According to the Defense Ministry, a deal was signed with WASS Submarine Systems SRL of Italy at a cost of approximately Rs 1896 crore for the procurement and integration of 48 heavy weight torpedoes and related equipment for the Kalvari-class submarines (P-75) of the Indian Navy. This agreement was signed in the presence of Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in the capital Delhi on Tuesday.
When will the torpedoes be delivered?
The delivery of these torpedoes will begin from April 2028 and will be completed by the early 2030s. This acquisition will increase the combat capability of six Kalvari class submarines.
It is noteworthy that on Sunday, President Draupadi Murmu visited Kalvari class submarine, INS Waghshir and reviewed the war fleet of the Indian Navy.
Torpedo manufacturing company was once a part of Finmanica
WASS Company was once part of Finmanica (now Leonardo), the company that built AgustaWestland. During the UPA government (2004-2014), Finmanica and its associated companies were blacklisted by the Defense Ministry due to the VVIP helicopter purchase scam. However, in the year 2021, the company was removed from the blacklist. WASS company is now a part of Italy’s Finsantieri Group and is among the few companies in the world that can make torpedoes.
The Defense Ministry issued a statement after the agreement saying that these torpedoes have important operational capabilities and advanced technical features. This acquisition underlines the Government’s commitment to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Navy by inducting weapons with specialized technologies and advanced capabilities.
Defense Ministry signed a deal worth Rs 4666 crore
The special thing is that on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry signed a total of 4666 crore agreements including 48 torpedoes (worth 1896 crores). These also include 4.25 lakh Close Battle Carbines (CQB) for the Army and Navy, the total cost of which is Rs 2770 crore. This agreement has been signed with Bharat Forge of Pune and PLR Systems of Adani Group. In the financial year 2025-26, the Defense Ministry has signed capital contracts worth Rs 1,82,492 crore for the modernization of the armed forces.