It’s a proud moment not just for the Indian Army, but for the whole nation. The Kalvari, India’s first French-designed conventional, diesel-electric submarine will finally hit the sea. It took more than 15 years to achieve this. The sources associated with the project said that this project has been code named Project 75. According to the source, the Kalvari’s Harbour Acceptance Trials (HATs) are pretty much complete. At this time, she has been readied for ‘Sea Trials’ and after it’s completion, she will become a part of the fleet.
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The INS Kalavri joined the Navy in early 2012 but is finally set for commissioning in September this year. Project 75 consists of six submarines but the one that comes first among the six will face the most gruelling tests. This project costs a whopping $3.5 billion.
The Kalvari is 67 metres in length and has a width of 6.2 metres . It weighs a considerable 1550 tonnes. This hulk machine can fire torpedoes and tube-launched anti-launch missiles both from underwater or from the surface.
As per the defence ministry, after INS Kalvari, the remaining five vessels under Project 75 will be delivered to the navy every nine months, by 2020. It is considered as the core of the Indian Navy’s submarine arm for the next two decades.
As stated by an insider official:
“The Scorpene submarines would pack a potent punch. These would be equipped with anti-ship missiles and long-range guided torpedoes along with modern sensor suites,”
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Mazagaon Docks Ltd. chairman and managing director Rear Admiral R.K. Shrawat termed this development as “a historic milestone” in line with the Indian Navy’s credo of ‘Glorious Wake, Vibrant Future’.