The Indian Navy’s submarine arm got a major boost with the commissioning of INS Vagir, the third submarine to be inducted in 24 months.
The fifth stealth Scorpene-class or Kalvari-class submarine, INS Vagir, was commissioned in the presence of Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of Naval Staff, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, coinciding with the 126th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Highlighting the importance of the third submarine in two years, Admiral Hari Kumar said: “This underscores the coming of age of India’s shipbuilding industry and the maturing of our defence ecosystem. It is also a shining testimony to the expertise and experience of our shipyards to construct complex and complicated platforms and serves to reinforce the Indian Navy’s unequivocal commitment and steadfast resolve to be a fully "Aatma Nirbhar" force by 2047”.
According to him, INS Vagir, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., will give a significant fillip to the Indian Navy’s operational might and serve as a potent deterrent for any adversary.
So far, four submarines of the Scorpene class—INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, and INS Vela—have been commissioned.
INS Kalvari (Yard 11875) was launched on October 27, 2015, and commissioned on December 14, 2017. INS Khanderi (Yard 11876) was launched on January 12, 2017, and commissioned on September 28, 2019. INS Karanj (Yard 11877) was launched on January 31, 2018, and commissioned on March 10, 2021. INS Vela (Yard 11878) was launched on May 6, 2019, and commissioned on November 25, 2021.
Vagir (Yard 11879) was launched on November 12, 2020. Vagsheer (Yard 11880) was launched on April 20, 2022, and is expected to be commissioned in March 2024.
The Kalvari-class submarines are one of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world. These platforms are equipped with the latest technologies in the world.
More deadly and stealthier than their predecessors, these submarines are equipped with potent weapons and sensors to neutralise any threat above or below the sea surface
The Scorpene submarines are extremely potent platforms, they have advanced stealth features and are also equipped with both long-range guided torpedoes as well as anti-ship missiles. These submarines have a state-of-the-art SONAR and sensor suite, permitting outstanding operational capabilities.
They also have an advanced permanent magnetic synchronous motor (PERMASYN) as their propulsion motor.