Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday commissioned India’s second Scorpene-class attack submarine INS Khanderi in Mumbai. It is expected to increase the Indian Navy’s maritime combat lethality 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.

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The defense Minister said, “I feel proud to be standing here to commission INS Khanderi. It has been built in India under Project 75. This is a symbol of our special ties with France as this project is collaboration with France. We are proud of our Navy. In 1971, the Navy played a huge role in defeating Pakistan. Pakistan should know our capabilities and we can use them if required.”

The fish ‘Kanneri’ found in the Arabian Sea is the inspiration for the motif of the attack submarine. The fish is known for hunting while swimming close to the bottom of the ocean using the barbells to find their prey. The fish uses its long serrated saw to kill and shred their prey before eating it. Like ‘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.

Speaking on the occasion Admiral Karambir Singh said, “The commissioning of Khanderi marks an important step in the combat capabilities of the Indian Navy. It is a testimony to our abilities to construct on complex platforms. The platform in front of you today showcases the strides taken in indigenisation of production for the Indian Navy.”

The INS Khanderi is manufactured by the state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai.  Construction began in April 2009. It was constructed in five separate segments which were welded together later.

Project 75 is the programme under which India is committed to building six Scorpene-class submarines at a cost of around Rs 25,000 crore. The first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari had been commissioned into the Indian Navy 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 carries forward the legacy of her namesake, a Soviet Foxtrot Class, which was India’s second submarine overall and served the Indian Navy for 21 years.

INS Khanderi’s motto ‘Akhand Abhedya Adrishya’ signifies the unity of the crew, indomitable spirit and stealth of the platform.