Scorpene Submarines

With no further submarine construction in sight, India's capability will atrophe

Inadequate budgets, delays in placing orders and then in construction, poorly coordinated delivery schedules, and the China factor present manifold challenges for the navy, notes T N Ninan

The INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela have already been commissioned while sea trials of the Vagir are underway

The previous avatar of INS Vela was commissioned on August 31, 1973

Rear Admiral (Retd) Rahul Shrawat, who heads Naval Group India, talks to Ajai Shukla about Naval Group's ambitions

In keeping with hoary naval tradition, the Karanj took its name from an earlier Foxtrot-class boat that India bought from the Soviet Union in 1969 and decommissioned in 2003

Indian Navy's third stealth Scorpene class Submarine INS Karanj was commissioned here on Wednesday

In pics: Mazagon Dock commissioned Submarine INS Karanj into Indian Navy

Scorpene-class submarine INS Karanj was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Scorpene-class submarine INS Karanj was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Mumbai on Wednesday.Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and Admiral (Retired) VS Shekhawat were present at the ceremony.Addressing the event, the Navy Chief said that hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'atmanirbharta' (indigenisation)."The impetuous to atmanirbharta or indigenisation is a fundamental tenet of Indian Navy's growth story and future trajectory," the Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh today.He also said that the Indian Navy has been a strong proponent of indigenization and self-reliance in defence over the past seven decades."At present, out of 42 ships and submarines on order, 40 are being constructed in Indian shipyards," the Navy chief said.

For the first time, the naval exercise is being held off both East and West coasts

In pictures: Navy's fifth Scorpene class submarine 'Vagir' launched

Indian Navy's fifth Scorpene class submarine 'Vagir' was launched on Thursday at Mumbai's Mazagon Dock

It is also developing indigenous Type-IV class submarine batteries and inter-cell connectors, the first set of which has passed all harbour trials after installation on board

Project 75-I, worth an estimated Rs 50,000 crore, will be India's last overseas submarine procurement and hence the last chance to obtain the technology for building the next 12 submarines

The first Scorpene (French for Scorpion), INS Kalvari, was commissioned into operational service by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 14, 2017

INS Vela was first commissioned on August 31, 1973 in the Indian Naval service and continued to serve for 37 years

The state-of-the-art features of the Scorpenes include superior stealth and ability to launch crippling attacks with precision-guided weapons

The defence ministry's Defence Procurement Procedure of 2016 allows 114 weeks for concluding a contract - in practice, an over-ambitious target

The Scorpene-class submarine was handed by the Mazgaon Dock Limited, one of the key ship building units of the Indian Navy

The navy will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to formally commission the vessel

Six Scorpene-class submarines are being built under 'Project 75' of the Indian Navy