Another Addition to India's Naval Might

The Indian Navy today added to its naval might by launching the third Scorpene-class submarine Karanj at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai. Navy chief Admrial Sunil Lanba, was the chief guest on the occasion while his wife Reena Lanba launched the submarine.

Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Lanba said the submarine will undergo rigorous tests for the next one year before it is commissioned. a total six submarines are going to be built at the MDL. The submarines are being built in collaboration with French shipbuilding major Naval Group.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month commissioned the first of the six Scorpene-class submarine Kalvari into the Indian Navy and said its induction was a big step in the country's defence preparedness. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had then said that submarine building is a sophisticated and exacting craft which very few countries possess in their industrial capacity.

Karanj is the third of the six Scorpene-class submarines being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited - MDL under the Project 75 programme. The first one, INS Kalvari, was commissioned on December 14 last year. The second one, Khandari, has already been launched and is undergoing sea trials. It is equipped with precision guided weapons and capable of launching both, torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.The submarines also have the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons. The attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface.

The contract for the construction and transfer of technology for six Scorpene submarines in series has Naval Group, formerly called DCNS, of France as collaborator and are being built by MDL.

The technology being used for construction of the Scorpene class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels and hydrodynamically optimized shape.