PM commissions country's maiden indigenously-built Scorpene submarine

Mumbai, Dec 14: Heralding it as a significant new era to boost India’s defence and security, Prime Minister rendra Modi on Thursday commissioned the country’s first indigenously-built Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari into the Indian vy. He formally unveiled the commissioning plaque and shook hands with val officers, before taking a quick voyage in the submarine. It is med after the first Foxtort-class submarine - INS Kalvari - which was inducted into the vy on December 8, 1967. This indigenous version comes days after the golden jubilee of the vy’s submarine wing. This is the first conventiol submarine to be inducted into the Indian vy. Kalvari means Tiger Shark.

Modi was received at the val Dockyard by vy Chief Sunil Lanba and presented a 100-man Guard of Honour. He thanked France for its help and collaboration in developing the Scorpene submarines, which encompass superior stealth and combat capabilities.

“It signifies strengthening of the growing strategic ties between India and France,” Modi said.

The Scorpenes were being built by the Mazagaon Dockyard Ltd (MDL) here under Project 75 with transfer of technology from a foreign collaborator — DCNS of France.

He said the INS Kalvari will provide a significant boost and synergise the country’s defence, economic, technical and intertiol powers, along with people power on the global are.

It will play a crucial role in India’s security and regiol stability, he added. Modi said India was fully alert with regard to its global, strategic and economic interests in the Indian Ocean.

“India’s humanitarian commitment to tiol security and diplomacy makes us stand apart in the world. So, a safe and secure India is good not just for this country but for entire humanity.”

He said India was playing a crucial role in confronting “all challenges emating from the high seas, be it terrorism, piracy, rcotics smuggling or illegal fishing” for the countries in the Indian Ocean rim.

In her address, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said submarines were “lethal, potent and cutting platforms in modern warfare, essential for peace and deterrence”.

INS Kalvari is manned by a team comprising of eight officers and 35 sailors with Captain S.D. Mehendale at the helm. The commissioning will augment the offensive capability of the Indian vy and the Western val Command in particular.

The second in the series of six submarines in this project, INS Khanderi is currently undergoing sea trials and all the submarines are due to be inducted gradually into the Indian vy by 2020.

The state-of-the-art features of the Scorpenes include superior stealth and ability to launch crippling attacks with precision-guided weapons. The attacks can be carried out with torpedoes both while submerged or on the surface — in all war theatres including the tropics, giving it an unmatched invulnerability. The submarine has an overall length of 67.5 metre and a height of about 12.3 metres. The hull form, fin and hydroplanes are specifically designed to produce minimum underwater resistance. Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadvis and French Ambassador Alexandre Zeigler were present at the event. (IANS)