Updated: November 12, 2020 9:41:11 pm
The Indian warship (INS) Vagir, launched on Thursday, is the fifth of six Kalvari-class submarines being built by public sector shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai. (PTI photo)
The Indian Navy’s fifth Kalvari-class diesel electric attack submarine, INS Vagir, was launched at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai on Thursday. A look at this class of modern and stealthy submarines that have been built under Project 75 and whose design is based on the Scorpene class of submarines.
Kalvari class background
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vagir, launched on Thursday, is the fifth of six Kalvari-class submarines being built by public sector shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai.
The other vessels in the class are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer. These Kalvari and Khanderi were commissioned in 2017 and 2019, Vela and Karanj and underwent sea trials, Vagir has already been launched and Vagsheer is under construction. Following its launch today, Vagir will begin with commissioning of various equipment and Port Acceptance Testing. Subsequently, the crew will navigate the submarine for acceptance tests at sea, after which the submarine will be delivered to the Navy.
Submarines of the current Kalvari class take their names from the old dismantled classes of submarines called Kalvari which included the Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj and Vela classes, which included Vela, Vagir, Vagshir. The Kalvari and Vela classes, now dismantled, were one of the first submarines of the post-independence Indian Navy, which belonged to the Foxtrot class of ships of Soviet origin.
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In maritime parlance, a ship class is a group of ships that have the same make, purpose, and displacement. In the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, ships belonging to a particular class are named in a specific way. Many times the names have the same first letters, prefixes, similar meanings or the names belong to a particular type of words, for example, names of cities, people, mythological concepts, animals, rivers, mountains, weapons, etc. The class is generally named after the first ship in the category. In some cases, a particular class of vessels takes its names from a previous class of vessels that are now out of service.
Like Kalvari, which means Tiger Shark, Vagir is named after a sandfish, a predatory marine species. Khanderi is named after a strong island built by Chhatrapati Shivaji, who played a key role in his Armada. Karanj is also named after an island located south of Mumbai.
#CLOCK The fifth Scorpene #submarine Project 75 Vagir launches into the sea at the Mazagón dock #Mumbai#Made in India #AatmaNirbharBharat @DDNewslive @PIB_India @PortanteMoD @indiannavy pic.twitter.com/PDdxkoODkE
– PRO Defense Mumbai (@DefPROMumbai) November 12, 2020
Technical details
The design of the Kalvari-class submarines is based on the Scorpene-class submarines designed and developed by the major French naval defense group, formerly DCNS, and the Spanish state entity Navantia. This class of submarines have diesel electric drive systems and these are primarily attack or ‘hunter-killer’ type submarines, meaning they are designed to target and sink adversary warships.
Kalvari-class submarines have the ability to operate in a wide range of naval combat, including operations against warships and anti-submarines, intelligence gathering and surveillance, and naval mine laying. These subs are around 220 feet long and 40 feet high. It can reach the highest speeds of 11 knots when surfacing and 20 knots when submerged.
Modern variants of the Scorpence class of submarines have what is called Air Independent Propulsion (AIP), which allows non-nuclear submarines to operate for a long time without access to surface oxygen. Two of the six Kalvari-class submarines are equipped with AIP. It should also be noted that the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has an ongoing program to build a fuel cell-based AIP system for Indian naval submarines.
Kalvari-class submarines are capable of launching various types of torpedoes and missiles and are equipped with a variety of intelligence gathering and surveillance mechanisms.
The fifth scorpene class submarine ‘Vagir’ of Project 75 during its launch in Arabian Sea waters by the Minister of State for Defense Shripad Naik via videoconference, in Mazagaon Dock, Mumbai, Thursday, November 12, 2020 (PTI Photo : Shashank Parade). )
Strategic importance
India currently operates one submarine each in the nuclear powered Chakra and Arihant Classes and in addition to 14 submarines that belong to three classes of the Diesel Electric category: Kalvari, Shishumar and Sindhughosh, some of which are aging.
Nuclear and diesel powered electric submarines have their designated roles in Carrier Battle Groups, which are formations of ships and submarines with Aircraft Carriers in the lead role. According to the basic principles of submarine deployment and the minimum requirement for India to create a strategic deterrent, there is a specific number of submarines of both types that India must have in active service. Currently, India has fewer submarines than is required and some more of both types are in various stages of construction.
In the late 1990s, around the time of the Kargil war, a three-decade plan for indigenous submarine construction was formed, which is known to have two separate series of submarine construction lines, named in Code Project 75 and Project 75I, in collaboration with foreign entities. The Ministry of Defense is also known to have established a roadmap for the independent design and subsequent construction of submarines that will add numbers to the Navy’s arsenal.
Launching Thursday
The submarine that until now was identified as ‘Yard 11879’ was launched on Thursday at Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). Minister of State for Defense Shripad Yesso Naik presided over the ceremony via videoconference from Goa and the submarine was formally named Vagir in accordance with naval traditions by his wife Vijaya Naik.
The ceremony was also attended by senior naval officers and dignitaries from the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defense (Navy), the Western Naval Command Headquarters and officials from the Naval Group, France.
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