Kalvari-Class Submarine INS Vagir launched

Kalvari-Class Submarine INS Vagir launched

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Defence & Security

In news

• Indian Navy’s fifth Kalvari-class Diesel Electric attack submarine INS Vagir was launched at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai.

Key takeaways 

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vagir is the fifth among the six Kalvari-class submarines.
• The other vessels in the class are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer.
• Of these Kalvari and Khanderi have been commissioned in 2017 and 2019. 
• Vela and Karanj are undergoing sea trials. 
• Vagsheer is under construction.

Technical details

• The design of Kalvari class of submarines is based on Scorpene class of submarines. 
• This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems. 
• These are primarily attack submarines or ‘hunter-killer’ type which means they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.
• It can reach the highest speeds of 11 knots when surfaced and 20 knots when submerged.
• These submarines have the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) which enables non-nuclear submarines to operate for a long time without access to surface oxygen.

Do you know? 

• Like Kalvari (which means Tiger Shark), Vagir has been named after a Sand Fish, a predatory marine species. 
• Khanderi has been named after an Island Fort built by Chhatrapati Shivaji.
• Karanj has also been named after an Island located South of Mumbai.