The fifth Kalvari-class submarine, INS Vagir, was built in the shortest amount of time in the history of submarines made in India and is scheduled to be commissioned on January 23. The hull has been laid, and Admiral R. Hari Kumar, chief of the naval staff, will be present when it is commissioned. Under joint construction with Naval Group, France, these submarines are being manufactured in India by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
The Indian Navy has already received four submarines from the Kalvari class. The sixth and final ship of the class, Vagsheer, was launched in April 2022 and is scheduled to be put into service in two years.
According to a statement released by the Indian Navy on Thursday, ‘Vagir,’ the submarine that was just launched, ‘holds the distinction of having the shortest build period among all indigenously constructed submarines to date.’
It is significant because the underwater warfare branch of the Indian Navy is operating submarines that are more than 20 years old, and its manufacturing programmes are similarly behind schedule. After 18 years of project clearance, which was granted in 1999, the first of the Kalvari-class submarines was commissioned in December 2017. The 2012 deadline for the first one and 2020 for the final one.
China has been steadily increasing its naval might while stationing warships and submarines in the Indian Ocean. With 355 warships and submarines, China’s navy has surpassed India’s in size, which now has 130 ships in its fleet.
Prior to commissioning, the submarine underwent a series of thorough acceptance checks and rigorous and demanding sea trials. The submarine’s first sea sortie occurred in February of last year, signalling the beginning of sea trials. In December of the previous year, it was given to the Indian Navy.
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