I agree WAZ, but Malin will incorporate more from Baracuda Sub which is one of the best in Nuclear Submarine Class at the moment and will be far forward in tech from U-214s or Scorpene. The reason Pakistan was reluctant was that Marlin is a new design and will require more integration and testing to fit the requirements. Agosta and Scorpene are on par. But when Agosta Project with MESMA was lauched the system was also new and not available elsewhere.
Pakistan should go French way in Sub since we have french Infrustructure and knowledge of their Sub building techniques as per Agosta Program are available.
Brother the Marlin has been shelved after the Pakistan Navy turned down the bid. It would have borrowed from the Barracuda but like I said before wouldnt of offered something radically different to what India would be operating. The Scorpene has an edge over the Agosta. The last ditch effort of the French to secure the submarine contract was when they offered us the Scorpene to which the Navy declined. They are no longer in the picture for our submarine tender.
In terms of us having existing French infrastructure that indeed is true but when you weigh against the proposed future expansion of our Naval fleet, greater operating autonomy, better capabilities, increased effectiveness against ASW assets which India is working greatly upon the U-214 was an obvious choice.
To further reinforce my point have a look at this article that came out today
Germany May Allow Sale to Pakistan of `Silent' HDW-Made Subs
By Brian Parkin
Feb. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Germany may approve the sale to Pakistan of three naval submarines made by ThyssenKrupp AG's HDW unit, ignoring the concerns of opposition lawmakers who claim the step might help stoke an arms race in the Indian Ocean.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's arms export council needs time to decide whether to go ahead with the sale, according to a government statement on the German parliament's Web site. The decision will take account of unrest in Pakistan as the country prepares for Feb. 18 elections, as well as potential human rights abuses and economic interests, the government said.
Navy materiel ``generally cannot be misused for internal repression or human rights infringements and the regional conflict with India doesn't have a naval component,'' the government said. Though a decision on the sale is still pending, such a step would help secure jobs at Kiel-based HDW ``for several years,'' it said.
The opposition Green Party fears that selling the U214 submarines will help push tension between India and Pakistan to the seas. Powered by silent fuel-cells, the deep-diving U214s are difficult to detect and their acquisition may spur a new arms race by forcing a potential foe to upgrade interception technology, the Greens say.
Merkel's government has indicated to Pakistan that it will approve the sale and will provide a Hermes export guarantee worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.9 billion) for HDW, the Greens said in a preamble to the government statement. Merkel's export council, comprising Cabinet ministers, convenes in secret.
Submarine Exports
The submarine exports would ``not comply with Germany's foreign and security policy interests'' and would infringe arms export rules, the lawmakers said. Pakistan's ``fragile, nuclear- armed regime is located at the center of a violent crisis-hub that stretches from Iran across Afghanistan to China and India.''
U214s sold by HDW to foreign governments are not equipped to fire missiles, the government said. The submarine has eight torpedo tubes and is technologically ``15 years'' ahead of the three French-made Agosta-class submarines operated by the Pakistani navy, said the Greens Party.
Germany ``fundamentally recognizes the right of other states to arm their forces with appropriate conventional means, exercising their right of self-defense,'' the statement said, adding that in Germany's view ``Pakistan's naval forces see modern submarines as a classic means to build their main deterrence against a blockade or an attack by a stronger opponent.''
To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Parkin in Munich at
bparkin@bloomberg.net
Bloomberg.com
