INS Khanderi
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On 28th September 2019, the union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned INS Khanderi, the second of the Indian Navy's six Kalvari-class submarines. It was inducted into the Indian Navy in the presence of Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh. The Kalvari class is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines based on the Scorpene-class submarine being built for the Indian Navy and has major stealth and superior combat capabilities. While commissioning INS Khanderi the minister lauded the Indian Navy for ensuring peace and stability in the Indian coastal regions.
INS Khanderi
It is a diesel-electric attack submarine and was built at state-run Mazgaon Dock Limited in Mumbai. It was built in five different separate segments later welded together. It has been inducted in the Indian Navy after it cleared all the rigorous sea trials over a period of two and a half years. Its name and capabilities are inspired by dreaded 'Sword Tooth Fish' named ‘Kanneri’ found in the Arabian Sea. It is known to hunt while swimming close to the bottom of the ocean.
The motto of INS Khanderi
The submarine's motto is 'Akhand Abhedya Adrishya' that signifies the unity of the crew, indomitable spirit and stealth of the platform.
Key Features
Key features of the submarine include a state of the art technology that reduces its noise under the sea. It has a maximum speed of 20 nautical miles, a standard around the world for most of the attack type submarines. Its propulsion motor is powered by 360 battery cells each weighing 750 kg and has the capability of firing six torpedoes. Another important feature of the submarine is, unlike the previous requirement of 60 crew, it has a maximum requirement of 36 crew. It saves oxygen availability and hence increases the capacity to stay under water for longer periods.
Project 75
INS Khanderi has been built under a program called Project 75. Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel-electric submarines (Scorpene-class or Kalavari-class), which will also feature advanced air-independent propulsion systems to enable them to stay submerged for longer duration and substantially increase their operational range. All six submarines are expected to be constructed in Indian shipyards in collaboration with France's Transfer of Technology at a cost of around Rs 25,000 crore. The first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned into the Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2017. The remaining four submarines in the Scorpene-class are - 'Karanj', 'Vela', 'Vagir' and 'Vagsheer'. INS Karanj was launched in January 2018 and is undergoing sea trials at present.
Sources: Wikipedia, business today, economic times