New Delhi:
The first "made-in-India" scorpene class submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned into Indian Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday in Mumbai.
INS Kalvari is first of the six scorpene class submarines being built by France’s DCNS in cooperation with Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai under the Project-75 of Indian Navy.
With an eye on China and Pakistan, the commission of INS Kalvari into Navy is being seen by defence experts as an important milestone for India’s bid to increase underwater warfare capabilities.
Here are the key facts about INS Kalvari:
# INS Kalvari was first of the six next generation Scorpene class submarines build by France’s DCNS in cooperation with Mazagon Docks Limited, Mumbai under the strategic Project-75.
# INS Kalvari is India's first new conventional submarine powered by stealth diesel electric engine which makes it difficult to be detected by enemy.
# INS Kalvari is India’s most modern non-nuclear submarine and can operate in all theatres including the tropics.
# The scorpion class submarine ‘Kalvari’ is named after a tiger shark.
# INS Kalvari weighs 1,550 tonnes and has an overall length of 67.5 metres and height of 12.3 metres.
# The deadly submarine is equipped with six 533-millimeter torpedo tubes and can launch torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and sea mines both while on the surface or underwater.
# The Kalvari is fitted with DRDO’s Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) technology which allows the submarine to remain under water for longer duration.
# INS Khanderi, second of the six submarines under Project-75 was launched in 2017 and is currently undergoing trials.
# The Scorpene data leak in 2016 exposing the secret stealth capabilities of submarines triggered a massive row. After the investigation, it was found out that the data was leaked from DCNS’s office in France
# Indian Navy’s first submarine commissioned on December 8, 1967 was also named as Kalvari.
