Sea Predator

1st conventional sub in 2 decades awaits PM's date to enter service

Khanderi-launching-naval-group The launch of the Khanderi submarine | Naval Group

Indian Navy officials are yet to get confirmation from higher authorities in the government about the commissioning date of its first conventional submarine after nearly two decades.

Kalvari, the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines, is waiting to join the Indian Navy's underwater fleet. But due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hectic electioneering for the Gujarat Assembly polls, the Indian Navy is yet to receive confirmation of dates from his office.

"So far, commissioning is planned in mid-December, subject to availability of the higher authorities,"said a senior defence official.

Considering the fact that the commissioning of the Kalvari submarine is a big leap towards Indian self-reliance in the defence sector, the NDA government would like to showcase the event as a major booster to its 'Make in India' initiative. The Navy got it last Indian-made submarines in the early 1990s when two HDW class submarines—INS Shalki and INS Shankul—were commissioned. Since, then the Navy is waiting for a new line of submarines.

As per Navy officials, the strength of the Indian Navy's submarine fleet has dwindled from a total of 21 submarines in the 1980s to 13 conventional submarines plus one homemade Arihant-class nuclear submarine and one Russian Akula-class submarine operating on lease. And the matter raises serious concerns when we compare the fleet size with our neighbour China, which has a fleet strength of 65 subs.

India got the first of eight Foxtrot-class submarines, also known as INS Kalvari, on December 8, 1967, when it was commissioned at the then Soviet Union’s naval base of Riga in Latvia.

Named after the tiger shark, a feared deep sea predator in the Indian Ocean, Kalvari has been designed by French naval defence and energy company Naval Group (earlier known as DCNS) and built at Mazagon Dock Limited under the Indian Navy’s $3-billion Project-75 programme. The project is already running late for five year as it was to be delivered in 2012.

The submarine is 66 metres long and is made of a special kind of high-tensile steel, which ensures that the warship can withstand high-yield stress, allowing it to dive deeper. The submarine can operate at a depth of 300 metres underwater and travel 1,020 km underwater. It can carry 18 torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles.

All six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India will be equipped with this anti-ship missile, which has a proven record in combat. These missiles will provide the submarines the ability to neutralise surface threats at extended ranges.

Designed and built to bolster the Indian Navy’s offensive capability, the state-of-art features of the Scorpene include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, while underwater or on surface. "The stealth features give it invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines,"a naval officer explains.

The Scorpene 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—anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.

After the Kalvari, two other submarines of the same Scorpene class, Khanderi and Karanj, are also on their way to join the Indian Navy; both are undergoing trials and development.

India joined the exclusive group of submarine-constructing nations on 7 February 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki, built by MDL. MDL then went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul, on 28 May 1994. These submarines are still in service today, after more than 20 years.

According to the Navy, the Kalvari submarines, built from special steel, are capable of withstanding high-yield stress and have high tensile strength, thereby allowing them to withstand high hydrostatic force and enabling them to dive deeper to further enhance stealth.

It is built according to the principle of modular construction, which involves dividing the submarine into a number of sections and building them in parallel. The equipment is mounted onto cradles and then embarked into the sections.

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Topics : #Navy | #defence | #security

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