SCORPENE-CLASS SUBMARINE – SIXTH SCORPENE-CLASS SUBMARINE – VAGHSHEER

GS 3 – DEFENCE 

Context: India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has delivered the sixth Scorpene-class submarine, Vaghsheer, to the Indian Navy under Project P-75.

About Scorpene-Class Submarines

Scorpene-class submarines are diesel-electric attack submarines designed for:

1. • • Stealth operations
     • Anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare
     • Intelligence gathering and area surveillance.

Project P-75

1. • Launched in 2005 as a $3.75 billion agreement between MDL and French defense firm Naval Group.
   • Included technology transfer for domestic construction.

Submarines Delivered Under Project P-75

1. • INS Kalvari (2017)
   • INS Khanderi (2019)
   • INS Karanj (2021)
   • INS Vela (2021)
   • INS Vagir (2023)
   • INS Vaghsheer (2024, after successful sea trials in 2023).

Key Features of Scorpene-Class Submarines

1. Capabilities
   • Equipped for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare.
   • Can launch torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles.
2. Propulsion System
   • Diesel-electric propulsion with an endurance of approximately 50 days.
   • Planned retrofitting with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems starting in 2024 to enhance stealth and underwater endurance.
3. Advanced Systems
   • High automation: Integrated Platform Management and Combat Management Systems.
   • Features indigenously developed components, such as:
     • Air Conditioning Plant
     • Internal Communication System (introduced with INS Vaghsheer).
4. Stealth Technology
   • Built with advanced stealth features to minimize detection by enemy systems.

Significance for India

• Enhances India’s submarine warfare capability and underwater combat readiness.
• Reflects the success of indigenization in defense manufacturing.
• Strengthens the Navy’s ability to protect maritime interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

 

Mains Question

Discuss the strategic significance and technological advancements of the Scorpene-class submarines delivered under Project P-75, focusing on their impact on India’s maritime security and indigenization efforts in defence manufacturing.