Presently, the INS Kalvari and Khanderi are in service. As reported earlier, other submarines of Kalvari class which are in line to join include -- Vela, Karanj, Vaghir and Vaghsheer. The Indian Navy has two out of the six commissioned already in service

Submarines across the globe represents the cutting edge of a navy’s offensive capability. Therefore, the importance of a potent and contemporary undersea warfare capability with submarines cannot be over-emphasized. The Indian Navy every year celebrates December 8, as Submarine Day, as on this day on in 1967, the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari was commissioned.

Why?

Because on this day the Indian Navy got its first submarine when its Ensign was unfurled on INS Kalvari — becoming the first submarine to be inducted in service in 1967, at Riga in Latvia, the erstwhile USSR.

About The First INS Kalvari

After serving the Indian Navy for almost 29 years, the first-ever submarine of the Indian Navy was decommissioned. The name Kalvari is the Malayalam name for Tiger Shark which is a predator in the Indian Ocean.

The first submarine Indian Navy got was a diesel-electric submarine of the Foxtrot Class from the erstwhile USSR. The 91.3-metre-long submarine carried a crew of 75 and had a surface speed of 16 knots while the submerged speed was 15 knots.

The range was 32,000 km at a speed of 8 knots when on the surface and a submerged range of 610 km at a speed of 10 knots.

It had the capability to carry around 22 torpedoes and in lieu could carry 42 mines.

The first submarine was brought from St Petersberg in Russia to Vishakhapatnam in India by Commander KS Subramanian, who was the first commanding officer of the submarine.

Thereafter the Indian Navy got three more submarines — Karanj, Khanderi and Kursura. These were commissioned in the Indian Navy along with submarine support vehicle Amba.

Later, in 1972, a submarine rescue ship, INS Nistar, was also commissioned.

More About Kalvari Class Submarines With The Indian Navy

Financial Express Online has reported earlier that the Indian Navy under the P75 Project is going to get six Kalvari class (Scorpene) diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs).

With technology transfer (ToT) contracted with French Naval Group (former DCNS), are being indigenously built at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).

The Kalvari class are advance conventional propulsion stealth attack submarines and they are designed for longer ranges while being submerged.

They have advance design features including very low acoustic, electromagnetic and infrared (IR) signatures.

The Indian Navy has two out of the six commissioned already in service.

Presently, the INS Kalvari and Khanderi are in service. As reported earlier, other submarines of Kalvari class which are in line to join include — Vela, Karanj, Vaghir and Vaghsheer.