First of Scorpene Submarines-Kalvari ‘Undocked’

Kalvari, first of the Indian Navy’s Scorpene class stealth submarines being built under collaboration with DCNS, France has been ‘undocked’ at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

The event was witnessed by the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, and the Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan. The submarine is the first of the six submarines to be built under the ‘Project 75’.

The project 75 which has seen a delay of almost 40 months has now been brought on track and the delivery schedule for the successive submarines have been reduced.

Speaking on the occasion Parrikar said as far as P75(I) Project is concerned, private players can be invited for joint venture which would help early fruition of the project. He warned that if the project is not completed in the stipulated time, the defaulting yard would have to pay penalty but an early completion would be rewarded with a bonus.

The Kalvari is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016.  The remaining five boats of the Project 75 would be delivered by the yard to the Navy by 2020 and would form the core of the Navy’s submarine arm for the next two decades.

The Scorpene submarines would be equipped with anti-ship missiles and long range guided torpedoes alongwith modern sensor suite.