INS Khanderi, the second indigenously built Scorpene submarine , was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on Thursday.
The submarine was launched by Bina Bhamre, wife of Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre, who presided over the function.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba was present on the occasion when the submarine was separated from the pontoon on which it was assembled.
The submarine's features include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons.
The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as with tube-launched anti-ship missiles, while underwater or on surface.
The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a naval task force.
It can undertake multifarious types of missions, i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.
Khanderi is the second of the six submarines being built at the MDL in collaboration with DCNS of France, as part of Project-75 of the Indian Navy. The first one, Kalvari, is completing sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Navy, a defence official said.
The Indian Navy’s submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8, 2017.
Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with the induction of the first submarine, erstwhile Kalvari, into the Navy on December 8, 1967.
India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of INS Shalki. The MDL built this submarine and went on to commission INS Shankul on May 28, 1994. They are still in service.
Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name of Tiger Shark, an MDL official said.
The submarine is built according to the principle of modular construction, which involves dividing the submarine into a number of sections and outfitting them concurrently.
The equipment is mounted in a special manner and then embarked into the sections. The complexity of the task increases exponentially as it involves laying kilometres of cabling and piping in extremely congested compartments.
All equipment has been installed in the submarine, with 95 per cent cabling and piping also being completed.
Pressure testing, setting-to-work and commissioning of various systems of the submarine is presently in progress, and would continue after the launch of the submarine.
The important safety milestone of vacuum-testing was completed in the first attempt itself, and within a single day on January 5.
This matched the record of Kalvari, which also completed the vacuum test in one go.
Till December 2017, the submarine will undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in harbour and at sea, while on surface and whilst dived.
These trials are designed to test each system to its fullest capacity. Thereafter, it would to be commissioned into the Indian Navy.
This would be preceded by the commissioning of Kalvari later this year. The other four submarines will follow at intervals of nine months.
As per tradition, ships and submarines of the Navy are brought alive again after decommissioning. The first INS Khanderi was commissioned into the Navy on December 6, 1968 and decommissioned on October 18, 1989.
