CAG flags delay in work on corvettes:

CAG flags delay in work on corvettes:

CAG condemns delay in construction of anti-submarine warfare corvettes

Context

• The Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) has condemned the Navy and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. for delay in construction of anti-submarine warfare corvettes and hampering their capabilities because of delayed decisions.

The report

• The report claims that the approved designs got amended 24 times till as late as last year.
• Against the 18 weapons and sensors to be installed on ASW corvettes, audit observed that the two ASW corvettes delivered were not fitted with ‘X’ weapon and sensor systems.
• Thus, ASW corvettes will not be able to put to its full potential as envisaged.

Reason behind the delay

• The report noted that while the Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued in March 2003, only a sketchy specification of the ship was made available to Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE).
• The finalization of system design as well as specification of equipment, weapon and sensor fit were to be undertaken by the Directorate of Naval Design.
• Due to the major design modifications, the cost went up from the original sanction of Rs.3,051.27 crore to Rs. 7,852.39 crores.

• The auditor also noted that harbor acceptance trials (HATs) were still pending as of December 2016 in respect of the second ASW Corvette for over a year.