INS Vagir, the fifth Kalvari class submarine, has been commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 23, 2023. The indigenously-built submarine took her maiden sea sortie in February 2022. It has gone through a series of checks before the commissioning. The submarine was built by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, in collaboration with Naval Group, France as part of the ‘Project 75’ initiative.
Features of Vagir:
This diesel-operated submarine is the fifth submarine in the Scorpene category. It is a lethal platform with a formidable weapon package. It is built using French technology. Vagir can undertake various missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and surveillance missions.
Reincarnation of Vagir:
In the Navy, the old ships and submarines never die. Their names are retained to honour their contributions. The submarine INS Vagir has an illustrious past. It takes its name from the deadly deep sea predator Sand Fish found in the Indian Ocean. A submarine with the same name was commissioned in November 1973. It had been part of several operations of the Navy. After serving in the Navy for about three decades, it was decommissioned in 2001. The latest avatar took the lowest build time.
