In a major boost to India’s naval artillery, second Scorpene class submarine, INS Khanderi, has been launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on Thursday.
Indian Navy’s Submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8 in 2017. Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with induction of the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on December 8, 1967, it said.
India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki. MDL built this submarine and went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul on May 28, 1994. These submarines are still in service even today.
Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. The state-of-the-art features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons.
Here is all you need to know about it:
- It can attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface.
- It has stealth features that will give it an invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force.
- It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine i.e Anti-Surface warfare, Anti-Submarine warfare, Intelligence gathering, Mine Laying, Area Surveillance etc.
- It is built according to the principle of Modular Construction, which involves dividing the submarine into a number of sections and outfitting them concurrently.
- Pressure testing, setting-to-work and commissioning of various systems of the submarine is presently in progress, and would continue after the launching of the submarine.
- Till December, the submarine will undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in harbour and at sea, while on surface and whilst dived. After that, it would be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Khanderi.
- The first Khanderi was commissioned into the Navy on December 6, 1968 and decommissioned on October 18, 1989. The launching, and subsequent commissioning of Khanderi, marks a generational shift in technology.
(With inputs from PTI)
