Fifth Scorpene Class Submarine “Vagir” delivered to Indian Navy

By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Dec 21:
 
The fifth Scorpene class submarine “Vagir” of Project P-75 (Yard 11879) built by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, was delivered to Indian Navy on Tuesday. The submarine will be subsequently commissioned into Indian Navy as “INS Vagir”.
The Acceptance Document was signed by Vice Admiral (Retd) Narayan Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director(CMD), MDL and Rear Admiral C Raghuram, Chief Staff Officer (Tech), Western Naval Command, in the presence of Commanding Officer (designate) Cdr S Divakar, MDL Directors and Navy personnel at MDL.
Vagir, launched on November 12, 2020 and underwent a comprehensive and rigorous set of tests and trials, to ensure delivery of a fully combat worthy submarine, capable of operation in all modes and regimes of deployment.
She can undertake missions- Anti-Surface, Anti-Submarine, Intelligence gathering, Mine Laying, Area surveillance etc. She is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. It is another potent platform, making a transformational shift in submarine operations.
Speaking on the occasion, CMD MDL said that with the delivery of Vagir, India cements its position as a submarine building nation and that MDL has lived up to its reputation as one of India’s leading shipyards with capacity and capability to meet requirements and aspirations of the Indian Navy. The delivery of five Submarines-”Kalvari”, “Khanderi”, “Karanj”, “Vela” earlier and now “Vagir”, has reaffirmed India’s membership in the exclusive group of submarine building nations. MDL continues its saga of “self-reliance”, “AatmaNirbhar Bharat” and “Make in India” initiative of the Government of India.
The state-of-the-art technology utilized in the Scorpene has ensured superior stealth features (such as advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noised levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape etc.) and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons.
The sixth Scorpene submarine – “Vaghsheer” launched on April 20, 2022 is getting readied for trials. The Scorpene project would not have achieved the current progress without the unconditional support of the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence and Indian Navy throughout its various phases of construction, the CMD said.
With construction of the Leander and Godavari class Frigates, Khukri class Corvettes, Missile Boats, Delhi and Kolkata class Destroyers and the newly inducted Visakhapatnam class of Destroyers, Shivalik class Stealth Frigates, the Shishumar-class submarines (SSK) and the Scorpene submarines, the history of modern day MDL almost maps the history of indigenous warship building in India.
Now the MDL has commenced design and construction of a Midget submarine which is proof of concept for subsequent indigenous submarine program. MDL today is capable to build 10 capital warships and 11 submarines simultaneously, the CMD stated.
In another development, “Arnala”, the first of anti-submarine warfare corvette being built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers for the Indian Navy, was launched on Tuesday in Chennai. The name “Arnala”’, has been chosen to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Arnala in Palghar district (Maharashtra) by the great Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.