The submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai

The Indian Navy got its fourth submarine INS Vela under Project75 after completing all trails at the sea, the Indian Navy said.

Project75 includes the construction of six submarines of Scorpene design. These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France.

“Christened ‘Vela’, the submarine was launched on May 6, 2019, and has completed all major harbour and sea trials including weapon and sensor trials despite Covid restrictions. Three of these submarines are already in commission with the Indian Navy,” a statement from the Ministry of Defence said.

The submarine would soon be commissioned into the Indian Navy and enhance the Indian Navy's capability.

Submarine construction is an intricate activity as the difficulty is compounded when all equipment is required to be miniaturised and is subject to stringent quality requirements. Construction of these submarines in an Indian yard is yet another step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

Three submarines Under Project-75 that are functional are INS Karanj, INS Kalvari, and INS Khanderi. INS Vagir was launched last year and the sixth one, INS Vagsheer, is under construction.

This class or category of submarines is considered superior as they include several aspects of naval combat performing anti-ship, anti-submarine, intelligence, mine laying, and area surveillance operations.

Upgrading its submarine operations and the naval fleet has been the top priority for the Indian Navy in wake of the increased presence of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean Region.

The Indian Navy currently has 12 submarines. In addition, there are two nuclear submarines INS Arihant and INS Chakra in the navy’s fleet.

Earlier this year the Defence Ministry cleared a long-pending proposal for the manufacturing of 6 submarines worth nearly Rs. 50,000 under the P75I project.