India’s defence naval fleet got more teeth on Wednesday as defence secretary Ajay Kumar launched INS Vagsheer, the sixth Scorpene-class submarine under Project-75, at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai.
Vagsheer is named after the sand fish, a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean. The first submarine Vagsheer, ex-Russia (then Soviet Union), was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 26 December 1974, and was decommissioned on 30 April 1997 after almost three decades of maritime service.
The Mazagon Dock has so far delivered four Scorpene-class submarines under the project to the Indian Navy – INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela. The fifth submarine ‘Vagir’ is currently under trial at sea, and is likely to be commissioned before the end of this year.
“In true nautical tradition, she finds a new incarnation by the same name. Vagsheer, infused with new life by Mazagon Dock, is once again a very powerful predator of the deep sea, guarding the vast maritime interests of our nation,” Mazagon Dock said in a release on Wednesday.
