http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9873]
Pak Navy opts for little known German subs
By Shakil Shaikh
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has almost decided to purchase German-manufactured U-214 submarines worth $1 billion on a single source basis.
Senior officials confirmed this huge sale-purchase deal for the U-214 submarines for the Pakistan Navy but confided to The News that the offer was not in compliance with the invitation of the tender issued on May 10, 2006. Also, the submarines are not much known as no such subs are in service with any navy of the world.
The Defence Production Ministry and its technical evaluators, including senior naval officers, rejected a far-better French Marlin even without opening a tender for the said submarines for obvious reasons, alleged a senior official.
French authorities, including former French president Chirac, had protested to President General Pervez Musharraf some time back this flat rejection of their offer. The president, said the source, had assured his French counterpart that the scrutiny process of purchasing submarines would be transparent and fair. But the authorities and those linked to this project masterminded the French offer to be outclassed, though Pakistan had ordered and operated three generations of French submarines in the last 40 years.
The two last subs have been produced in Karachi by means of a successful Transfer of Technology (ToT), as key human and industrial assets are the result of a long and fruitful cooperation between Pakistan and France. This resulted in Pakistan’s joining of a very select club of submarine builders.
One senior official said that after partial selection of the German HDW (Howaldtswearke — Deutsche Werft), a senior Defence Production official, Commander Nisar Ahmed, who is assistant director Munitions Production (Navy), raised many queries on the proposal from the HDW for the construction of three conventional subs at the purchaser yard under ToT arrangements through a letter dated August 13, 2007.
It was very surprising that the officer sought information after accepting the offer of supplying three conventional U-214 subs from the German firm. The authorities made twisted general specifications, which made the whole process non-transparent and unfair, said the source.
Investigations and background briefings from officials in the Ministry of Defence Production and the Pakistan Navy revealed that following the French protest at the highest level, the Defence Production Division requested the French DCNS (Agosta-90B fame company and leader of the European market in subs production) to submit a “Scorpene” offer as Pakistan’s choice. Scorpene is one of the top class submarines and is being supplied to India as well.
However, the offer of Scorpene was rejected as it was found technically unacceptable by the Pakistan Navy, said the source, adding that no reason was given for this. A comparison between French Scorpene and German U-214 will show that Scorpene subs have been ordered by three different navies and two of them have been in service for more than two years.
Conversely, the German U-214 submarine has been ordered by two navies only and none of them is in service. In fact, the first class “Papanikolis” has been rejected twice by a NAT navy (Greek Navy). And the tender mentioned that the proposed design should be in service in a parent/foreign navy.
“As no U-214 is in service in any navy of the world, the German offer is not compliant with IT and should have been rejected,” said a senior official. The scrutiny process of selecting German subs does not take into account the existing Agosta-90B capabilities which in case of a U-214 selection have to be fully redeveloped.
The Defence Production Division, disclosed the official, refused to consider the French offer which consists of building Scorpene submarines in Karachi for export and maintaining those operated by foreign navies there. The aim of this offer is to maintain the key assets developed in the framework of the Agosta-90B contract.
However, it was shocking when the chief of naval staff and the secretary Defence Production did not reply to the DCNS chairman’s official additional offer, which consists of upgrading free of charge the three Agosta-90B’s combat management system, said the source. This offer, he said, creates added value for the Pakistan Navy and spares foreign currency to the country.
During the scrutiny, the Defence Production Division did not take into account the fact that the German offer included technologies subject to the US Congress clearance. It is a too dangerous aspect, as no Pakistani can rely on the US or its legislative forums. Pakistan is a victim of US sanctions.
“The whole matter needs to be investigated at the highest forum in Pakistan,” said a senior official, adding that the scrutiny process of purchasing German subs would create problems for naval defence in future.
Pakistan, if it goes the Germany way, would jeopardise the long cooperation established with France by avoiding competition in the $1 billion purchase of submarines. When asked why Pakistan was buying German subs instead of French, Director Munitions Production AVM Shaukat Mehmood told The News on Friday that the choice of purchasing new subs had been received from the Naval Headquarters (NHQ). “The technical committee of the Pakistan Navy has obviously carried out elaborate analysis of different options and they chose the best,” he said. “The German subs are selected by NHQ.”