JOIN USKalvari, the first of the Scorpene-class submarines, went to sea for the first time on Sunday marking the commencement of sea trials.
Being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd Mumbai (MDL), the vessel is now undergoing the most important phase before commissioning. The submarine sailed out at about 10 am under her own propulsion for the first sea trial, off the Mumbai coast.
“A number of preliminary tests were conducted on the propulsion system, auxiliary equipment and systems, navigation aids, communication equipment and steering gear. Various Standard Operating Procedures were also validated for this new class of submarines. The submarine then returned to the harbour in the evening,” a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.
This important milestone was achieved by MDL after overcoming a number of challenges faced since launching of the submarine last year in October. During the next few months, the submarine will undergo a barrage of sea trials, including surface trials, diving trials, weapon trials, noise trials etc. which would test the submarine to the extremes of its intended operating envelop. Thereafter, she would be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Kalvari later this year. Commissioning of Kalvari will be a re-affirmation of India’s capability to build submarines and a major boost for the ‘Make in India’ programme.
The state-of-art features of the Scorpene include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface.