The Indian Navy’s fifth Scorpene class submarine Vagir, having superior stealth features, was launched on Thursday at the Mazagon Dock in South Mumbai. Vijaya, wife of Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, launched the submarine of Project 75 in the Arabian sea waters. The minister was the chief guest at the event and attended it via video link from Goa. Vagir is part of the six Kalvari (name given to Scorpene design) class submarines being built in India. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company Naval Group, are being built as part of Indian Navy’s Project-75 programme. . The first Vagir, a submarine from Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 3, 1973, and was decommissioned on June 7, 2001 after almost three decades of service to the nation. These submarines can undertake missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance, an official said. Vagir is named after the sand fish, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. With the launching of Vagir, India further cements its position as a submarine building nation.
