In News:

• The fifth submarine of Project 75 to build Kalvari class diesel-electric attack submarines, Yard 11879, was delivered to the Indian Navy.

What’s in today’s article:

• The P-75 India project – about, first phase, second phase
• News Summary

The P-75 India project

• In June 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security had approved a plan for the Indian Navy to induct indigenously build and induct submarines by 2030.
• It was broken down in two phases — the P-75 and P-75I.

First Phase: P-75

• Under the first phase of P-75, signed in 2005, India and France signed a $3.75 billion contract for building six Kalvari class that is based on Scorpene class submarines.
• The executing company on the Indian side was Mazgaon Docks Ltd, and on the French side, it was DCNS, which is now called Naval Group.
• Under this project, the first submarine was commissioned in December 2017.
• Subsequently, the other five have been built and in April, 2022 INS Vagsheer was launched and would be commissioned by 2023.

Second Phase: P-75I

• The P-75I phase envisages the construction of six conventional submarines with better sensors and weapons and the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP).
• Defence Acquisition Council cleared the project in 2019 under the strategic partnership (SP) model.
  • The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in 2017 the much-anticipated SP model for the Indian private sector.
    • This was announced to promote Make in India in defence manufacturing
  • SP model seeks to identify a few Indian private companies as Strategic Partners who would initially tie up with a few shortlisted foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to manufacture big-ticket military platforms.

News Summary

• The fifth submarine of the Project – 75, Kalvari Class submarines, Yard 11879 was delivered to the Indian Navy.
  • Other submarines of the Kalvari class are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, and INS Vela and INS Vagsheer.
• The submarine when commissioned will be known as INS Vagir.
• Launched in November, 2020, ‘Vagir’ commenced the sea trials in February, 2022, and has completed all major trials.
• 

Kalvari Class

• This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems and are attack submarines also known as the ‘hunter-killer’ type, which means they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.
• The Kalvari-class submarines have the capability of operating in a wide range of Naval combat including anti-warship and anti-submarine operations, intelligence gathering and surveillance, and naval mine laying.
• These submarines are around 220 feet long and have a height of 40 feet.
• The submarines can reach the highest speeds of 11 knots when surfaced and 20 knots when submerged.