New Delhi:The state owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) on Thursday delivered scorpene submarine Vaghsheer to the Indian Navy, which will boost country’s maritime capability. The sixth scorpene submarine under Project P-75 will be formally commissioned by Indian Navy on January 15.
The acceptance document was signed on Thursday by MDL chairman and managing director Sanjeev Singhal and RAdm R. Adhisrinivasan, Chief Staff Officer (Tech), Western Naval Command at MDL.
Vaghsheer, was launched into water on 20 April 2022. It has undergone a series of comprehensive and rigorous set of tests and trials, for more than a year, to ensure delivery of a fully combat worthy submarine, capable of operation in all modes and regimes of deployment.
MDL’s Singhal said that with the delivery of Vaghsheer, India further cemented its position as a submarine building nation and MDL has lived up to its reputation as one of the India’s only shipyard with capacity and capability to meet requirements and aspirations of the Indian Navy in all dimensions.
“The state-of-the-art technology utilised in the scorpene has ensured superior stealth features (such as advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noised levels, and hydro-dynamically optimised shape among others) and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons,” said MDL.
The delivery of six submarines Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, Vela, Vagir and now Vaghsheer, reaffirmed India’s membership in the exclusive group of submarine building nations, he added.
It is one of the most silent and versatile diesel-electric submarines in the world. It is designed to undertake a wide range of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance, and special operations. Armed with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and advanced sonar systems, the submarine also features modular construction, allowing for future upgrades such as the integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology.
The attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The stealth of the potent platform is enhanced by the special attention provided to her characteristic underwater signatures. These stealth features give it an invulnerability that is unmatched by most submarines. It is another potent platform, making a transformational shift in submarine operations.
The submarine boasts of a very high level of automation with a sophisticated Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) and a Combat Management System (CMS) which integrates the various diverse equipment, systems and sensors fitted into one formidable platform. The state-of-art features also include 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 which include both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles.
In addition, Vaghsheer is different from the previous five boats wherein the submarine is fitted with indigenously developed air conditioning plant and internal communication and broadcast system in addition to main batteries and Ku-Band SATCOM (Rukmini).