Submarine INS Vagir commissioned, set to give boost to Navy's special ops

INS Vagir, the fifth submarine of the Kalvari Class submarines, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Monday, giving a boost to the force's prowess.

INS Vagir, which has been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited here with technology transfer from France, was commissioned in a ceremony attended by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.

"The submarine will boost the Indian Navy's capability to further India's maritime interests in deterring the enemy, and conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to provide decisive blow in the times of crisis," the Navy said.

'Vagir' means sand shark, which represents stealth and fearlessness, two qualities synonymous with the ethos of a submariner, it said.

Equipped with some of the best sensors in the world, its weapons package include sufficient wire guided torpedoes and sub-surface to surface missiles to neutralise a large enemy fleet, the Navy said.

The submarine also has the capability of launching marine commandos for special operations, while its powerful diesel engines can quickly charge batteries for a stealth mission, the Navy added.

For self defence, it has a state of the art torpedo decoy system, the Navy release added.

The commissioning of INS Vagir comes amid the increasing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean.