LAUNCH OF SIXTH SCORPENE SUBMARINE ‘VAGSHEER’ AT MAZAGON DOCK LIMITED (MDL)

What is the News?

The Defence Secretary has launched INS Vagsheer. It is the last of the Scorpene-class submarines made under Project 75 and can join the Navy fleet within 12-18 months after sea trials.

What is INS Vagsheer?

INS Vagsheer is the sixth submarine of Project 75 of the Indian Navy.

Manufactured by: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited(MDL) in collaboration with Naval Group, France.

Named After: Vagsheer is named after the sandfish, a deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean. It is also named after the first submarine Vagsheer from Russia which was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1974 and was decommissioned in 1997.

Features

Diesel Attack Submarine: It is a diesel attack submarine designed to perform sea denial as well as access denial warfare against the adversary. It can do offensive operations such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering and area surveillance.

Speed: It can reach a top speed of 20 knots when submerged and a top speed of 11 knots when it surfaces.

Anti-Torpedo Countermeasure system: It is enabled with a C303 anti-torpedo countermeasure system. It can carry up to 18 torpedoes or Exocet anti-ship missiles, or 30 mines in place of torpedoes.

Superior Stealth Features: Its superior stealth features include advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, and hydro-dynamically optimized shape. It has the ability to launch a crippling attack using precision-guided weapons, underwater or on the surface.

Source: This post is based on the article “LAUNCH OF SIXTH SCORPENE SUBMARINE ‘VAGSHEER’ AT MAZAGON DOCK LIMITED (MDL)” published in PIB on 20th April 2022.