Mumbai, December 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commissioned 'INSKalvari' into the Indian Navy, which is the first made-in-India Scorpene class submarine on Thursday Morning. Kalvari is named after the dreaded Tiger Shark, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean.
“I thank all those workers associated with INS Kalvari. I also want to thank France for the construction of INS Kalvari. This is a fine example of the fast growing strategic partnership between India and France,” PM Modi Modi said in Mumbai.
The commissioning ceremony was held at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, which was attended by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, FOC Western Naval Command and top defence officials.
INS Kalvari is a diesel-electric attack submarine that has been built for the Indian Navy by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. It is the first of six such submarines that will be inducted into the Indian Navy and represents a significant success for the Make in India initiative. The project has been undertaken with French collaboration.
The Prime Minister also asserted that India is playing an
important role in combating terrorism via sea, piracy, drug smuggling or
illegal fishing. Calling the 21st century as “Asia’s century”, PM Modi said
that its development would have to go through India. Prime Minister coined the
acronym SAGAR as “Security And Growth for All in the Region.”
The Defence officials said, Kalvari underwent around 120 days of extensive sea trials and tests for various equipments and the vessel is expected to bolster India's maritime prowess. The first Kalvari, commissioned on 8th December 1967, was also the first submarine of the Indian Navy. It was decommissioned on May 31, 1996 after nearly three decades of service.
The technology utilised in the Scorpene has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons.