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INS Vagsheer, the sixth P75 Kalvari-class submarines, was officially commissioned into the Indian Navy in presence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
The event was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi and several other senior dignitaries. Naval Group's Chairman & CEO, Pierre Eric Pommellet, was also present alongside Naval Group's team from France and India, to mark this significant milestone, according to a Naval Group release. INS Vagsheer is built by the Indian shipyard Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) based on the Naval Group's Scorpene design. Launched on 20 April 2022, INS Vagsheer has completed successful sea trials and now joins its sister vessels INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagir, which were commissioned respectively in December 2017, September 2019, March 2021, November 2021 and January 2023. As per the release, Pierre Eric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO said: "We are honoured to be part of the success of the P75 program, a cornerstone of the Indo-French strategic partnership and a key achievement in India's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' policy. Naval Group remains fully committed to supporting the Indian Navy through future projects alongside Indian industrial partners." The commissioning of INS Vagsheer highlights the success of India's indigenous submarines construction programme. This submarine has been fully built by MDL, with technology transfer from Naval Group, in line with the Indian Government's "Make in India" policy. The series of six submarines of the P75 program is fitted with a number of equipment built locally by qualified and highly trained industrial including Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). MDL and Naval Group have developed a rich industrial ecosystem of more than 100 Indian companies, along with an Indian subsidiary employing more than hundreds of Indian engineers to support the Indian Navy, the release stated. This strategic partnership contributes to industrial and technological sovereignty while opening new markets opportunities for local industries, showcasing their experience gained through the program. The Scorpene is a 2000 tons conventional-propulsion submarine designed and developed by Naval Group for all types of mission, such as surface vessel warfare, anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations or intelligence gathering, according to the release. Extremely stealthy and fast, it has a level of operating automation that allows a limited number of crew, which reduces its operating costs significantly. Its combat edge is highlighted by the fact that it has 6 weapon launching tubes and 18 weapons (torpedoes, missiles), the release stated. With 14 submarines operating or under construction chosen around the world and more than 5 submarines which have been chosen and awaiting start of construction very soon, the Scorpene is an essential reference of conventional attack submarines (SSK) for Navies across the globe. The product is easily adapted to specific requirements of any naval customers. The progressive improvement by Naval Group dedicated and experienced designers ensures the seamless integration of advances and modern technology. Naval Group, a long-term partner of India Naval Group is present in India through its 100% subsidiary Naval Group India. Established in September 2008, Naval Group India's mission has been to support the indigenisation of equipment for Scorpene submarine, to develop the Indian defence eco-system, as well as to develop design services in India with talented Indian engineers, the release added. (ANI)
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