On 23 January 2023, INS Vagir, the fifth P75 Kalvari-class submarines, was commissioned within the Indian Navy in presence of the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar and several other senior dignitaries. The event was also attended by Naval Group’s Executive Vice President for Submarines, Mr Laurent Espinasse along with the Naval Group team in India.
INS Vagir is built by Indian shipyard Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) based on the Naval Group Scorpene design. Launched on 12 November 2020, INS Vagir successfully completed all her sea trials and now enters into service within the Indian Navy. She will join INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela which had already been commissioned respectively in December 2017, September 2019, March 2021 and November 2021. The last submarine of the P75 series, the Vagsheer, is currently completing her sea trials in order to be delivered in 2024.
Laurent Espinasse, EVP Submarines stated, “The commissioning of INS Vagir is a major milestone for the Indian Navy, MDL, Naval Group and all our industrial partners. We are proud to be part of the P75 programme and remain fully committed to deliver the last unit of the series and to enhance the level of indigenisation in future projects of the Indian Navy.”
The commissioning of INS Vagir highlights the success of indigenous submarines construction programme of the Government of India. This submarine has been completely built by MDL having successfully absorbed the technology transfer from Naval Group, in line with Indian Government’s “Make in India” policy. The series of six submarines of the P75 programme is fitted with a number of equipment built in India by qualified and highly trained industrial Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). MDL and Naval Group have developed a rich industrial ecosystem of more than 50 Indian companies, along with an Indian subsidiary with more than 70 Indian engineers to support Indian Navy, thus contributing to industrial and technological sovereignty. Such cooperation allows Naval Group’s industrial partners to have access to new markets by putting forward the know-how and experience acquired through the programme. Naval Group thus contributes to the development of a robust Indian naval industrial ecosystem.
The Scorpene is a 2000 tons conventional-propulsion submarine designed and developed by Naval Group for all types of missions, such as surface vessel warfare, anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations or intelligence gathering. Extremely stealthy and fast, it has a level of operating automation that allows a limited number of crew, which reduces its operating costs significantly. Its combat edge is highlighted by the fact that it has 6 weapon launching tubes and 18 weapons (torpedoes, missiles).
Naval Group is present in India through its 100% subsidiary Naval Group India. Established in September 2008, Naval Group India’s mission has been to support the indigenisation of equipment for Scorpene submarine, to develop the Indian defence eco-system, as well as to develop design services in India with talented Indian engineers.
Naval Group India “endeavours to implement the vision of AatmaNirbhar Bharat and evolve as centre of excellence for support and maintenance of P75 submarines by further empowering Indian industries and creating a robust eco-system that can cater to the varied defence needs of the country”.
