Big boost to maritime power: Indian Navy to commission Scorpene-class submarine INS Vela on Thursday
In a big boost to maritime power, the Indian Navy is set to commission INS Vela, the fourth Scorpene-class submarine, in Mumbai on Thursday.
The addition of INS Vela to the defence fleet will give a major fillip to India’s capabilities in dealing with possible maritime security threats in the face of China’s growing assertiveness and presence in the Indian Ocean region.
“It is a proud moment for all of us. It has an indigenous set of batteries and has an advanced communication suite of indigenous make so it has taken the concept of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ further,” Captain Anish Mathew, Commanding Officer of INS Vela
INS Vela, the fourth of six underwater warships being built in India with French collaboration, was launched at Mazagon Dockyard in Mumbai in May this year with an aim to boost Indian capability to defend and secure the strategic sea lanes.
The state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited has entered into a contract for construction and transfer of technology for six Scorpene-class subs with French collaborator Ms Naval Group (formerly DCNS). INS Vela is the fourth in that series.
Before Vela, MDL launched Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj submarines.
INS Vela was first commissioned on August 31, 1973 in the Indian Naval Service and continued to serve for 37 years. It was the country’s oldest submarine when it was decommissioned on June 25, 2010, MDL said in a statement.
