The first of six Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines started sea
trials in Mumbai this week.
The Scorpene-class
diesel electric submarine Kalvari has begun extensive sea trials in the
waters off Mumbai this week.
The
Kalvari was set afloat this Wednesday at the state-run Mazgaon Docks
Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, where it has been built in close collaboration with
the French shipbuilder DCNS.
“The
accomplishment of this milestone will initiate commencement of sea trials
which will eventually lead to the commissioning of the boat into the
Indian Navy in September 2016,” rear admiral RK Shrawat, the chairman and
managing director of MDL told reporters.
The
Indian Navy is slated to receive six Scorpene-class submarines by 2020.
MDL officials said that they will deliver one new boat every nine months.
The
67-meter long submarine with a 6.2 meter diameter will be equipped
with an air-independent propulsion system, which allows the boat to stay
submerged longer making it more difficult to detect.
In
October 2005, a $4.16 billion contract (known as Project 75) was awarded to the
French industrial group DCNS to build six Scorpene-class
submarines (with an option to build six more) at MDL.
The deal
involved extensive technology transfer agreements. Only thirty percent of
the submarine has been made in India. For example, the Kalvari’s pressure
hull has been manufactured by MDL.
The
Sorpene-class submarine program has faced repeated delays over the last couple
of years (See: “India’s Submarine Fleet Faces
Further Delays”). The latest delay in February was due to
difficulties in procuring certain technologies from foreign suppliers.
The
1550-ton Kalvari will be deployed for a wide range of activities
including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, special operations,
intelligence gathering, minelaying, area surveillance, and strikes against
land-based targets.
The sub,
boasting six 533 millimeters torpedo tubes, can be equipped with both
conventional anti-ship torpedoes and missiles (e.g., SM-39 Exocet ), as
well as sea mines.
India is
in the process of modernizing its aging submarine fleet with readiness rates
purportedly to be below 40 percent.
The
Indian Navy recently announced that it will lease another nuclear-powered
submarine, the Kashalot K-322 nuclear-powered attack
submarine (NATO classification Akula II-class) from Russia (See: “India to Lease Another Nuclear
Submarine From Russia”).
At the
moment, the fleet consists of 15 boats: nine Russian SSK Kilo-class
(Sindhugosh), four locally-built SSK U209 Shishumar-Class, the
leased INS Chakra SSN, and the INS Arihant.
The
INS Arihant will be the lead vessel of the Indian Navy’s future
fleet of four (some media reports say five) Arihant-class SSBNs.
The INS Arihant is based on the Russian Project 971 Akula I-class
nuclear-powered attack submarine. Hindustani Time
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