The third Scorpene class submarine INS Karanj was launched today at Mumbai’s Mazagon Docks in the presence of Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba.
INS Karanj is the third of the six Scorpene-class submarines being built by Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) under the Project 75 programme.
Scorpene class submarine:
The Scorpene-class submarines are a class of diesel-electric attack submarines jointly developed by the French Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) and the Spanish company Navantia, and now by DCNS. It features diesel propulsion and an additional air-independent propulsion (AIP).
INS Karanj
Name: INS Karanj
Namesake: Karanj (S21)
Ordered:2005
Builder: Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai
Launched:31 January 2018
Status: Construction complete
INS Karanj is the third submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine. The ambitious plan incurred a massive Rs 3.5 billion cost for the Indian Navy.
History:
The first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned on December 14, 2017 the second Scorpene-class submarine INS Khanderi, was launched on January 12, 2017, is undergoing the rigorous phase of sea trials and is expected to be commissioned later this year.
Characteristics of INS Karanj:
The submarine has an overall length of 67.5 metre and a height of about 12.3 metre.
Scorpene submarines can undertake multifarious types of missions i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.
The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, with means provided to ensure capability with other components of a Naval Task Force. It is a potent platform, marking a generational shift in submarine operations.
The state-of- the-art technology utilised for construction of the Scorpene class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons.
Keeping with Indian naval tradition, INS Karanj too is a reincarnation of an older submarine that was in operation from 1969 to 2003. It served the country for 34 years and was also part of operations in 1971. Wednesday’s event marked the rebirth of the submarine in a new avatar, the Indian Navy tweeted.