The Indian Navy’s newest submarine, the fifth of six French-designed Scorpene-class submarines, sailed for the first time on Tuesday and will now undergo rigorous testing before being delivered to the Navy later this year.
The submarine designated “Yard 11879” during its construction by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in collaboration with the French Naval Group will be called “Vagir” after its commissioning. “Despite the coronavirus pandemic, MDL delivered two Project 75 submarines last year,” the Navy said in a statement.
The sea trials of the fifth submarine are an important milestone, she added. 2020 and will now undergo extensive testing of systems, machinery, and weapons at sea ahead of commissioning, scheduled for later this year. The submarine is named after INS Vagir, a Russian Vela-class submarine that served in the navy from 1973 to 2001.
The six Kalvari-class submarines, designed by the French company DCNS, are being built in India as part of the Indian Navy’s Project75. These submarines can undertake missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, minelaying and area surveillance, an official said.
Two submarines from the ongoing Project75 Scorpene program at MDL Kalvari and Khanderi have been ordered from the Indian Navy. The third submarine, Karanj, is in the last phase of rigorous tests of the sea.
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