INS Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on 12 January 2017. It is the second of the six submarines being built under Project 75, with assistance and technology transfer from DCNS of France under a deal signed in October 2005.
Here are some mind-boggling facts about INS Khanderi:
- INS Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century.
Khanderi Fort Near Mumbai - The state-of-the-art features of INS Khanderi include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons.
- The attack from it can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst on surface or underwater.
- The stealth features give it invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics.
- All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval task force.
- It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance, minelaying etc.
- The indigenously-built submarine, named Khanderi, will now undergo extensive trials at sea and harbour till December to test all its equipment before it officially gets the “INS” prefix and is commissioned into the Indian Navy. As a matter of fact, Indian Navy’s submarine arm will complete its 50 years on 8 December 2017.
- India joined an exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki.
Khanderi Being Launched
India is among few countries in the world which produce conventional submarines. The first submarine of the class (Kalvari) is completing its sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy. The other four submarines are expected to be launched at nine-month intervals after the INS Khanderi. At Present, the Indian Navy operates only 13 conventionally powered submarines and 2 nuclear submarines.
