Indian Navy has taken delivery of its fourth Scorpene-class submarine as part of the country’s Project P-75.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited delivered the vessel on 9 November. The company has been contracted to build six Scorpene-class submarines under Project P-75 in collaboration with French Naval Group (former DCNS). The vessel has completed the sea trials and was named INS Vela, according to the officials.
The fifth submarine Vagir was launched on 12 November 2020 and has commenced its harbor trials and is expected to go for its maiden surface voyage next month. The sixth submarine is presently in the advanced stage of outfitting, the company revealed.
In March this year, the navy commissioned the third Scorpene-class diesel-electric attack submarine, INS Karanj.
The Scorpene submarines are said to be among the most advanced conventional submarines in the world. More deadly and stealthier than their predecessors, these submarines are equipped with potent weapons and sensors to neutralize any threat above or below the sea surface.
Scorpene-class units are 67.5 meters long with a height of about 12.3 meters. They are fitted with 360 battery cells (each weighing 750 kg) powering the permanently magnetized propulsion motor.
Equipped with the submarine tactical integrated combat system (SUBTICS), sea-skimming SM 39 Exocet missiles or the heavyweight wire-guided surface and underwater target (SUT) torpedoes, they can undertake multifarious tasks which include anti-surface as well as anti submarine warfare.
The first submarine from the batch, INS Kalvari , was commissioned in December 2017 and the second, INS Khanderi , in September 2019.