India’s first Scorpene class submarine INS Kalvari undergoes first sea trial

INS Kalvari, Indian Navy’s first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, has recently launched for the first sea trial in the Mumbai naval dockyard.

•  It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which is built under the strategic Project 75 by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with French naval defence and energy company DCNS.

 About INS Kalvari :

• INS Kalvari is also known as Tiger Shark (or S50).
•  It is expected to be commissioned into Indian Navy by September 2016.
•  It has superior stealth capability and is designed to operate in all theatres including the tropics.
•  It is built using special steel that can withstand high yield stress that can withstand high hydrostatic force and enabling to dive deeper.
• The submarine, over the next few months, will undergo a barrage of sea, surface, diving, weapons, noise trials, etc testing her to the extremes of its intended operating envelop.
• She will be later commissioned into the Indian Navy, giving a major boost to the 'Make In India' initiative of the government.
• She is part of the ongoing project for constructing six Scorpene class submarines, in collaboration with DCNS of France, which will include transfer of technology to MDL.
•  Operations capability: It can undertake various operations including multifarious warfare, Anti-submarine warfare, Intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc. 
• Attack Ability: It can launch attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons and attack can be launched from underwater or on surface. 
• Weapons: It is equipped with Weapons Launching tubes (WLT) that can carry weapons on board and can be easily reloaded at sea.