Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) on Tuesday delivered the fourth Scorpene submarine to the Indian Navy as part of Project P-7. The new submarine will be subsequently commissioned into the Navy as INS Vela.
The Acceptance Document was signed by VAdm Narayan Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of MDL and RAdm KP Arvindan, Chief Staff Officer (Tech), Western Naval Command at the MDL headquarters at Mazagon Dock.
Under Project–75 programme, MDL was to build six submarines of Scorpene design in collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France. Vela submarine was launched on May 6, 2019, and has completed all major harbour and sea trials, including weapon and sensor trials despite Covid restrictions. Out of the six submarines, the MDL has delivered three submarines — Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj — already in commission with the Indian Navy.
India is among the select few nations who can boast of submarine building capability. MDL officials said the fifth submarine Vagir, launched on November 12, 2020, has commenced her harbour trials and is expected to go for maiden surface sortie in December 2021, while the sixth submarine is currently in the advanced stage of outfitting.
Tuesday’s delivery comes days after MDL had delivered the first Visakhapatnam class destroyer to the Navy on October 31. Among the largest destroyers built in India, the warship can accommodate a crew of 312 personnel, has an endurance of 4,000 nautical miles and can carry out a typical 42 days mission.
Warships built at Mazagon Docks
Leander and Godavari class Frigates
Khukri class Corvettes
Missile Boats
Delhi and Kolkata class Destroyers
Visakhapatnam class of Destroyers
Shivalik class Stealth Frigates
SSK class submarines
Scorpene class submarines
