With the fifth Submarine ‘Vagir’ undergoing mandatory sea trails for completion before the delivery schedule, Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) will launch ‘Vagsheer’, the last boat of a series of six submarines, under the P75 Submarine Project on April 20.

After the launch of Vagsheer, important machinery like the Main Engine and Main Motor will undergo harbour trails followed by sea trails planned from January 2023 culminating with its delivery by March 2023.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, work on Vagsheer has been proactively undertaken by MDL on a continuous basis with boot together and battery loading completed on January 18, 2021 and February 23, 2022 respectively.

The sixth scorpene, Vagsheer, is equipped with six torpedo tubes of 533 mm. During any major operation it can carry 18 torpedoes or SM39 anti-sheep missiles with it. This submarine also has the ability to lay mines in the sea to destroy the enemy. It is equipped with modern navigation and tracking systems and is fully capable of operating in any type of weather conditions.

Earlier, INS Kalvari was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 14, 2017 by prime minister Narendra Modi. The second, third and fourth Scorpenes – INS  Khanderi, INS Karanj, and INS Vela – were commissioned  into the Indian Navy on September 28, 2019, March 10, 2021 and November 25, 2021, respectively. The fifth submarine is in advanced stages of outfitting.   

MDL officials said that despite enormous challenges faced during thepandemic in 2020-21, MDL successfully delivered INS Karanj and INS Vela in one calendar year, on February 15, 2021 and November 9, 2021, respectively.  

INS Karanj was the first submarine to be constructed completely by the Indian teams of MDL and Indian Navy keeping with the country’s vision of achieving self-reliance in meeting the needs of the Indian defense forces.

Officials said that it is a proud moment for them that very intense efforts have been made to manufacture indigenous equipment like main batteries, gas analyzers, intercoms, AC plants, RO plants, and have installed them onboard to the extent feasible, thereby achieving maximum indigenization in SM6. “These steps are in the right direction of our prime minister’s vision to make India Atma-Nirbhar,” said an official.

MDL chairman and managing director Vice Admiral (retd) Narayan Prasad said that currently Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders has an order book of Rs 46,000 crore which essentially comprises six submarine projects, project 15 Bravo Destroyers and Project 17 Alpha Stealth frigates.

“We have delivered four submarines and one destroyer. These programmes are going to extend for the next three-four years. We are trying to launch three platforms – one Submarine, one Project 15 Bravo Destroyer and one Stealth Frigate in April and May this year and deliver submarine and 15 Bravo Destroyer by end of the year,” he told media persons on Friday.

MDL has completed modernisation and upgradation of its facilities to contemporary world-class infrastructure with 4 Drydocks, 3 Slipways, 2 Wet Basins and facilities with Virtual Reality Lab, product data management product lifecycle management modular integrated construction enabling capacity and capability to undertake construction and repair of 10 Warships and 11 Submarines simultaneously.

MDL through Project 75 has created and nurtured a core team of young and skilled workforce, build indigenous first-of-class of submarine outside designers yard, set up shore integration facility for validation and training of Combat system prior installation onboard and successful live missile firing prior delivery on INS Kalvari.

Along with absorbing transfer of technology, MDL has also implemented improvements like computerized inspection management system.

Leveraging the experience and the transfer of technology of the Scorpene Project with enhanced and upgraded infrastructure, MDL will now undertake future projects like integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) plug on P75 Submarines and is a very strong contender for building 6 nos. conventional submarines under the big-ticket programme of P751 of Indian Navy.

As the lead Defence Shipyard of India, MDL has kept up with the latest trends in shipbuilding and undergone massive modernization program called The Mazdock Modernisation Programme (MMP).

In recognition of its contribution to indigenisation initiatives, MDL was conferred with the ‘Governance Now 5th PSU Award 2018’ for playing pivotal role in Make in India.