In a marked improvement of its underwater might, the Indian Navy is expected to commission the Vagsheer, the final of the Kalvari-class submarines in December. This is under the ₹23,562-crore Project 75 series as announced officials on Sunday and earlier today. The Vagsheer, built to Indian design specifications and currently in its final trials at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, is a diesel-electric attack submarine with technology imported from French firm Naval Group. Kalvari-class submarines are multi-mission platform capable of surface and submarine warfare, deep strike, special operation, and even undertake intelligence gathering.
In addition to that, to strengthen its maritime arm the India is reportedly in talks with the France to build three more Kalvari-class submarines at the MDL. This was conceived to enhance India’s strategic capability in the Indian ocean region given growing muscle power of China in this region.
On 29 August, India’s Navy also launched its second home-built nuclear-powered ballistic missile boat INS Arighaat in Visakhapatnam. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that this move will improve India’s nuclear configuration or the nuclear triad and help in a strategic balance making the region safer. INS Arighaat, or S-3, is slightly more developed than the first submarine of the Arihant class, INS Arihant (S-2).
In the future, India is also scheduled to launch its third nuclear propelled ballistic missile boat, Aridaman (S-4) in the next year itself alongside another boat, S-4. United States’ nuclear-powered submarines, SSBNs (ballistic missile submarines), are key nuclear-capable platforms. These two Arihant-class submarines are expected to be bigger boats with ability to fire longer ranged missiles. Also, the Navy is also planning to acquire two nuclear-powered, conventional-diesel submarines alone to counterbalance the aggressive deterrents in the Indo-Pacific, aiming to strengthen India’s security in the broad and complex world.
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