India’s second Scorpene-class attack submarine INS Khanderi which was commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday is expected to increase the country’s maritime combat ability by several folds.
According to the Indian Navy, the INS Khanderi is one of the most potent platforms to have been constructed in India that can compare with the best in the world.
The motif of the attack submarine is inspired by the fish ‘Kanneri’ which is found in the Arabian Sea. The fish is known for hunting while swimming close to the bottom of the ocean using the barbells to find its prey. The fish uses its long serrated saw to kill and shred its prey before eating it.
Like the fish ‘Kanneri’, the INS Khanderi is fully weaponised to attack its enemies. It is equipped with a set of missiles and torpedoes that can be fired upon detecting enemy targets. It has a sonar suite that enables long-range detection and classification of targets. The submarine’s warfare capability comprises a cluster of integrated advanced weapons and sensors. It has undertaken multiple torpedo and missile firing trials to validate its fighting capability.
The INS Khanderi has an overall length of 67.5m and a height of 12.3m. The hull form, the fin and the hydroplanes are specifically designed to produce minimum underwater resistance. The power of the submarine’s motor is provided by 360 battery cells, each weighing 750kg. The motor - known as Permanently Magnetised Propulsion Motor - is extremely silent in nature. The stealth of the INS Khanderi is further enhanced through the mounting of equipment inside the pressure hull on shock absorbing cradles.
Under a programme called Project 75, India is committed to building six Scorpene-class submarines at a cost of around Rs25,000 crore. The first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017. The programme has been undertaken with Transfer of Technology from Naval Group, a state-run submarine builder in France, which was formerly known as DCNS.
The INS Khanderi is a conventional diesel-electric submarine and has been manufactured by the state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai. Its construction began in April 2009. It was constructed in five separate segments which were welded together later.