Super stealth: Find out all about Indian Navy’s Scorpene class submarine Vagir
New
Delhi,
Nov
12:
Indian
Navy's
fifth
Scorpene
class
submarine
Vagir,
having
superior
stealth
features
like
the
advanced
acoustic
absorption
technique,
was
launched
on
Thursday
at
the
Mazagon
Dock
in
south
Mumbai.
Vijaya,
wife
of
Minister
of
State
for
Defence
Shripad
Naik,
launched
the
submarine
through
video
conferencing.
The
minister
was
the
chief
guest
at
the
event
and
attended
it
via
video
link
from
Goa.
Vagir
is
part
of
the
six
Kalvari-class
submarines
being
built
in
India.
The
submarines,
designed
by
French
naval
defence
and
energy
company
DCNS,
are
being
built
as
part
of
Indian
Navy's
Project-75.
Indian Navy launches its fifth Scorpene class submarine Vagir
These
submarines
can
undertake
missions
like
anti-
surface
warfare,
anti-submarine
warfare,
intelligence
gathering,
mine
laying,
and
area
surveillance,
an
official
said.
Vagir
is
named
after
the
Sand
Fish,
a
deadly
deep
sea
predator
of
the
Indian
Ocean.
The
first
Vagir,
a
submarine
from
Russia,
was
commissioned
into
the
Indian
Navy
on
December
3,
1973,
and
was
decommissioned
on
June
7,
2001
after
almost
three
decades
of
service
to
the
nation.
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"Building
the
Scorpene
was
indeed
a
challenge
for
MDL,
as
the
complexity
of
the
simplest
of
tasks
increased
exponentially
due
to
all
work
having
to
be
done
in
the
most
congested
of
spaces,"
MDL
said
in
a
release.
"The
state-of-art
technology
used
in
the
submarine
has
ensured
superior
stealth
features
such
as
advanced
acoustic
absorption
techniques,
low
radiated
noise
levels,
and
hydro-
dynamically
optimised
shape
and
also
the
ability
to
attack
the
enemy
using
precision
guided
weapons,"
the
release
said.
The
attack
can
be
launched
with
both
torpedoes
and
tube
launched
anti-ship
missiles,
whilst
underwater
or
on
surface,
MDL
said.
"The
stealth
of
this
potent
platform
is
enhanced
by
the
special
attention
to
her
characteristic
underwater
signatures.
These
stealth
features
give
it
an
invulnerability,
unmatched
by
most
submarines,"
it
said.
The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force, MDL said.
"With
the
launching
of
Vagir,
India
further
cements
its
position
as
a
submarine
building
nation.
This
is
in
sync
with
the
current
impetus
of
the
government
towards
Make
in
India
and
Atma
Nirbhar
Bharat,"
MDL
said.
Two submarines of the ongoing Project-75 Scorpene programme at MDL, Kalvari and Khanderi, have been commissioned into the Indian Navy. The third submarine, Karanj, is in the last phase of rigorous sea trials. The fourth Scorpene, Vela, has commenced her sea trials, whilst the sixth and last submarine, Vagsheer, is being readied for boot together.
"Two SSK submarines built by MDL during 1992-94 are in active service, which is a testimony to the professionalism and capability of Mazagon Dock personnel," it said.