NEW DELHI: Indian Navy’s underwater combat capability is set to get a boost with the addition of the second submarine of the Kalvari Class being manufactured by the Mazgaon Dockyard Limited Mumbai in collaboration with French Company Naval Group. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also be launching a Stealth Frigate for sea trials and a Dry Dock for the aircraft carrier the same day. Singh will induct the INS Khanderi on September 28 into the Navy at Mumbai, informed naval sources. He will also preside over two other functions the same day.
INS Khanderi, being manufactured under the Project 75 with a total of six submarines to be built, is meant for multifarious missions like combating enemy above water and below water, surveillance, intelligence gathering and mine laying. Calling the commissioning long overdue, Defence Analyst Commodore Anil Jai Singh (Retd) says, “We already have lost so many years but with continuous Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean, these are very critical to the Navy.”
The Submarine project is late by several years. The Project 75 (Scorpene Project signed in 2016) was to be completed by 2012 but the first submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017. The commissioning of rest four submarines will be completed by 2022. Defence Minister will also be launching first Stealth Frigate being built under Project 17A. Seven such warships are being built under the project.
The ship will undergo its trials and is likely to be commissioned in 2021. Dry Dock to be commissioned by Defence Minister will be second of its kind as there is one at Cochin which takes on the repair and maintenance of the aircraft carriers.