Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines handed over by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned India's first modern conventional submarine, INS Kalvari, into Navy's fleet in Mumbai on Thursday, a first in almost two decades.Lauding the efforts of the Navy from disaster management to combating piracy, Mr. Modi said "be it terrorism via sea, piracy, drug smuggling or illegal fishing, India is playing an important role in combating them."
"I call it SAGAR — security and growth for all in the region," he added.
"Peace in Indian Ocean, which is the lifeline of global trade is better off with INS Kalvari and her follow on submarines," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines handed over by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built by MDL in Mumbai as part of Project-75 of the Indian Navy.
“Kalvari is a potent Man o’ War capable of undertaking offensive operations spanning across the entire spectrum of Maritime Warfare. She embodies cutting-edge technology and compares favourably with the best in the world,” the Navy said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Navy last inducted a conventional diesel-electric submarine, INS Sindhushastra, procured from Russia in July 2000.
Kalvari, named after a deep sea tiger shark, weighs about 1,600 tonnes and carries the sea skimming SM 39 Exocet missiles and the heavy weight wire guided Surface and Underwater Target (SUT) torpedoes. For self-defence it has mobile anti-torpedo decoys.
Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding of the Western Naval Command, and top defence officials attended the ceremony.