Karanj, third Scorpene class submarine, launched; to undergo rigorous trials now

MUMBAI: The third Scorpene class submarine, Karanj, was on Thursday launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in Mumbai. The submarine was then towed to Mumbai Port Trust, for separation from the pontoon. Karanj will now undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in harbour and at sea before it is commissioned into the Navy.

Erstwhile Karanj was commissioned in the Navy on September 4, 1969 and retired on August 1, 2003. She had served the nation for 34 years and also took part in 1971 operations.

Today, she is reborn in a new avatar. Before she touched water for the very first time, invocations from Atharva Veda were recited at the dockyard.

All set for the launch of 3rd Project 75 submarine at Mazagon Docks Mumbai @makeinindia @DefenceMinIndia @nsitharaman @SpokespersonMoD @Cmdmdl @DefProdnIndia pic.twitter.com/YH8jJkbXT9 — SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 31, 2018

The state-of-the-art features of the Scorpenes include superior stealth and ability to launch crippling attacks with precision-guided weapons.

The attacks can be carried out with torpedoes both while submerged or on the surface -- in all war theatres including the tropics, giving it an unmatched invulnerability.

The submarine has an overall length of 67.5 metre and a height of about 12.3 metres. The hull form, fin and hydroplanes are specifically designed to produce minimum underwater resistance.

First of the Scorpene class submarines, INS Kalvari was commissioned in Mumbai last December.

The second in the series of six submarine project, INS Khanderi was undergoing sea trials and all the submarines are due to be inducted gradually into the Indian Navy by 2020.