Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Built within the shortest time in the history of indigenously-manufactured submarines, the fifth Kalvari-class submarine INS Vagir is all set to be commissioned on January 23. The hull has been laid and it will be commissioned in presence of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar. These submarines are being built in India by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France.
Four of the Kalvari class of submarines has already been commissioned into the Indian Navy. Vagsheer, the sixth and last of the class was launched in April 2022 and is expected to be commissioned in two years.The Indian Navy on Thursday said, “Launched and named ‘Vagir’, the submarine in its new avatar has the distinction of having the lowest build time among all indigenously manufactured submarines till date.”
It is important as while the Indian Navy’s underwater combat arm is operating submarines more than 20 years old, its manufacturing programmes are also running late. The first of the Kalvari-class submarines was commissioned in December 2017, after 18 years of project clearance given in 1999. The first was expected in 2012 and the last by 2020.
Meanwhile China has been augmenting its naval power with continuous deployment of warships and submarines into the Indian Ocean. China has become the biggest Navy with 355 warships and submarines while India’s total fleet strength is 130.
The submarine undertook maiden sea sortie in February last year, marking commencement of sea trials and has gone through a series of comprehensive acceptance checks and, stringent and demanding sea trials prior to commissioning. It was delivered to the Indian Navy in December last year.”
NEW DELHI: Built within the shortest time in the history of indigenously-manufactured submarines, the fifth Kalvari-class submarine INS Vagir is all set to be commissioned on January 23. The hull has been laid and it will be commissioned in presence of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar. These submarines are being built in India by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France.
Four of the Kalvari class of submarines has already been commissioned into the Indian Navy. Vagsheer, the sixth and last of the class was launched in April 2022 and is expected to be commissioned in two years.
The Indian Navy on Thursday said, “Launched and named ‘Vagir’, the submarine in its new avatar has the distinction of having the lowest build time among all indigenously manufactured submarines till date.”
It is important as while the Indian Navy’s underwater combat arm is operating submarines more than 20 years old, its manufacturing programmes are also running late. The first of the Kalvari-class submarines was commissioned in December 2017, after 18 years of project clearance given in 1999. The first was expected in 2012 and the last by 2020.
Meanwhile China has been augmenting its naval power with continuous deployment of warships and submarines into the Indian Ocean. China has become the biggest Navy with 355 warships and submarines while India’s total fleet strength is 130.
The submarine undertook maiden sea sortie in February last year, marking commencement of sea trials and has gone through a series of comprehensive acceptance checks and, stringent and demanding sea trials prior to commissioning. It was delivered to the Indian Navy in December last year.”
