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India’s First Locally Built Attack Submarine to Join Naval Fleet on Thursday

© AP Photo / Rajanish KakadeThe INS Kalvari, one of the six Scorpene diesel-electric attack submarines, is set afloat at the naval dockyard in Mumbai, India (File)
The INS Kalvari, one of the six Scorpene diesel-electric attack submarines, is set afloat at the naval dockyard in Mumbai, India (File) - Sputnik International
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INS Kalvari would be the 14th boat to join Indian Navy’s conventional submarine fleet in the Indian Ocean Region. However, the Indian Navy requires at least 24 submarines to maintain its superiority over Bangladesh and Pakistan who are poised to soon deploy additional submarines sourced from China.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be handing over India's first locally built Submarine — INS Kalvari — to the Indian Navy on Thursday. The much-awaited diesel-electric Scorpene class submarine is the first of the six such submarines being built at an Indian shipyard with the technical support of French naval shipbuilding firm Naval Group, earlier known as DCNS. INS Kalvari is the first conventional submarine that would be joining the Indian Navy's fleet after a gap of 17 years.

"The INS Kalvari is a diesel-electric attack submarine that has been built for the Indian Navy by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. It is the first of six such submarines that will be inducted into the Indian Navy, and represents a significant success for the "Make in India" initiative," Indian defense ministry said in a statement. 

​The boat was scheduled to serve the Indian Navy from 2012; seven years after signing a $3 billion deal with DCNS. However, the Indian firm MDL's ineptness in absorbing the technology transferred by Naval Group delayed the project by five years, according to sources.

READ MORE: India's First Scorpene Submarine to Join Naval Fleet from Next Month

Indian Navy personnel stand on a submarine during the Presidents Fleet Review (PFR) in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India. (File) - Sputnik International
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Out of the 14 Indian submarines already present in the Indian Ocean, 13 are conventional boats that are 17-31 years old and need an immediate upgrade. Moreover, the entire fleet is not battle-ready so deploying all of them at a time of war would not be possible for India.

Meanwhile, in the next few months, the Indian Navy is set to float a tender for six stealth submarines having both land-attack missile capabilities and air-independent propulsion system for greater underwater endurance.

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