INDIA. Mumbai: The fifth submarine of Project 75, of the Indian Navy, which was launched on November 20, 2021, from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) commenced her sea trials on Tuesday. The submarine would be named ‘Vagir’, after commissioning.
The submarine belongs to the Kalvari class and was built at MDL located in South Mumbai.
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, MDL has ‘Delivered’ two submarines of the Project – 75 in the year 2021, and the commencement of sea trials of the fifth submarine is a significant milestone,” a Defence spokesman said.
The submarine will now undergo intense trials of all its systems at sea, including propulsion systems, weapons, and sensors. The submarine is scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in the year 2022 after the completion of these trials.
The Submarine Project
The Kalvari class is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines based on the Scorpene-class submarine being built for the Indian Navy.
The class and submarines take their names from the first submarines inducted into the Indian Navy. The submarines are designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS and are being manufactured by MDL.
In 1997, the Indian Defence Ministry approved a plan to acquire 24 submarines under Project 75. In 1998, India began negotiating with DCN for four Scorpène submarines with two to be built in MDL from knocked-down kits.
After the Kargil War in 1999, Cabinet Committee on Security approved a 30-year submarine building plan that called for two parallel production lines, each constructing six submarines.
The older Project 75 was brought under the new plan, with the two production lines to be built under Project 75 and Project 75 I using transfer of technology from different foreign manufacturers. The negotiations were subsequently expanded to include Armaris, a joint venture of DCN and Thales, for six submarines to be built in MDL.
‘Kalvari’, ‘Khanderi’, ‘Karanj’, and ‘Vela’ are the other four submarines commissioned earlier. The sixth submarine will be named ‘Vagsheer’ when commissioned.
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