INS Vagir

INS Vagir

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Defence

Context: For the first time, the Indian Navy’s INS Vagir, a Scorpene-class submarine, has been deployed to Australia on an extended-range mission.

More about INS Vagir:

• It is a Kalvari-class submarine, which includes vessels, such as the INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer.
• It is the fifth Scorpène-class submarine.
• This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems.
• These are primarily attack submarines or ‘hunter-killer’ types which means they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.
• It is built under Project-75 by the Mazgaon Docks Ltd, under technology transfer from the Naval Group of France
• INS Vagir is capable of undertaking diverse missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and surveillance missions.
• It has advanced stealth features and is also equipped with both long-range guided torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.

What is Malabar naval exercise:

• It is an annual exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the U.S. held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• It began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the U.S.
• Then it got permanently expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
• With the addition of Australia, it has become a Quadilateral naval exercise between India, USA, Japan and Australia.
• The aim of the Malabar Exercise of India, the US, Japan and Australia is to coordinate for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

What is Project 75:

• This project envisages the indigenous construction of submarines equipped with a state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system
• Project 75 (I), approved in 2007, is part of the Indian Navy’s 30-year Plan for indigenous submarine construction.
• Project-75(I) envisages indigenous construction of six modern conventional submarines including associated shore support, Engineering Support Package, training and spares package with contemporary equipment, weapons & sensors including Fuel-Cell based AIP (Air Independent Propulsion Plant), advanced torpedoes, modern missiles and state of the art countermeasure systems. .