The Indian Navy has inducted INS Karanj into service on March 10. It is the third Scorpene-class conventional diesel-electric submarine.
Key Points
- The submarine was commissioned by former Navy Chief Admiral V.S. Shekhawat.
- Shekhawat was the Commanding Officer of the earlier INS Karanj during the 1971 India-Pakistan War.
- This scorpene class submarine is a part of Project-75.
- Under Project-75, six Scorpene submarines are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited under technology transfer from the Naval Group of France.
- A deal of $3.75 billion was signed in this regard in October 2005. However, the program was delayed by four years due to construction.
- The first submarine of the class, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in December 2017 and the second, INS Khanderi, in September 2019.
- The fourth submarine, Vela, has been launched into the water in May 2019.
- The fifth submarine, Vagir, has also be launched into the water in November 2020.
- At present, both Vela and Vagir are undergoing sea trials. The sixth is in an advanced stage of outfitting.
- The Indian Navy is looking to install Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) modules on all Scorpene submarines to enhance endurance. The initial plan to install the AIP plugs on the last two submarines during manufacture did not fructify as the indigenous module from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) got delayed.
The plan is to install the modules on all Scorpene submarines as they go for their refit. Kalvari is scheduled for normal refit in 2023.
The Scorpene-class is the Navy’s first modern conventional submarine series in almost two decades since INS Sindhushastra, procured from Russia in July 2000.
