Mumbai : ‘Vagsheer’, the state of the art 6th Scorpene submarine under Project-75 was launched at the Mazagaon Docks on Wednesday as part of the ‘Make In India’ initiative. The submarine was launched by Veena A. Kumar, wife of the Chief Guest and Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar in the presence of Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant, Western Naval Command chief, Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Vice Admiral S. N. Ghormade, Mazagaon Docks Ltd Chairman cum Managing Director Vice Admiral Narayan Prasad (retd) and other senior dignitaries and officials. Addressing the media, Kumar said that now ‘Vagsheer’ will under rigorous sea trials for over a year before she will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as a fully combat worthy submarine. It is named after the Sand Fish, a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean, said officials. The first submarine ‘Vagsheer’, of Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in December 1974 and served till April 1997. In true nautical traditions, she has been reincarnated by the same name to the new submarine built by MDL to once again guard the vast maritime borders and interests of India. The ‘Vagsheer’ is provided with the state of the art features utilised in all the Scorpene Class submarines with superior stealth features.
These include advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape, the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons, etc. She can with use both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles while underwater or on surface. The stealth feature of this potent vessel is enhanced by the special attention to her characteristic underwater signatures, which give her invulnerability unmatched by most submarines. The Scorpene Class submarines can undertake multifarious missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine-laying, area surveillance, and more. It has been designed to operate in all theatres of operations, showcasing interoperability with other components of a naval task forces, making her a potent platform and marking a transformational shift in submarine operations. Prior to ‘Vagsheer’ four other submarines built by MDL – ‘Kalvari’, ‘Khanderi’, ‘Karanj’, and ‘Vela’ have been commissioned into the Indian Navy while the fifth ‘Vagir’ is undergoing sea-phase trials.
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