Named Kalvari, the stealth submarine successfully undocked at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on Monday. The vessel will soon undergo sea trials to test its weapons and firing capabilities, and is slated to enter the naval service by 2016.
Speaking to Defense News, MDL officials said, "Between now and September 2016, the submarine will undergo a year and a half of rigorous trials and tests, both in harbor and at sea, while on surface and while dived."
The vessel is the first of the Indian Navy’s ambitious Project 75 submarine program, which aims to include five more Scorpénes in the Navy fleet by 2020. The submarine program is a collaborative project between the Indian Navy and the French firm DCNS, which was awarded the $4.6 billion contract in 2005.
Set to be India’s first ultra-deep diving vessel, the Scorpéne is stealthier than the average submarine. The design uses "high-yield specific steel," which allows it to dive almost 1,000 feet into the ocean. It also uses a noise-cancelling technique, whereby its equipment is mounted on elastic to prevent noisy vibrations from travelling outside the vessel. The Scorpéne’s body is also designed to be harder for Sonar to detect.
The new submarine comes a week after Pakistan, India’s geopolitical rival, announced its agreement to purchase 8 submarines from China.
