INS Khanderi to be commissioned in '18

The Indian Navy will get a new submarine this month with INS Kalvari, the first of the six Scorpene submarines being commissioned. The second submarine in the series — INS Khanderi — which was launched earlier this year, will also enter service in 2018.

On Friday, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, said they were "looking to commission the Kalvari this month."

"For Kalvari, the procedure was different from the other ships commissioned in the past. For over one year, a number of trials were conducted at sea. We have done more than 120 days at sea with Kalvari already," he said. The major trials of the underwater platform have been completed.

The Navy's six Scorpene-class stealth submarines are being constructed under the much-delayed Project-75 at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in collaboration with DCNS, France to augment its depleted and ageing submarine fleet.

A senior official from the Indian Navy said they were planning to commission INS Khanderi next year. He added that while they had successfully test fired the French SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missile from Kalvari, they were using the German SUT torpedos for the submarine after the Ministry of Defence scrapped Finmeccanica's contract for the Black Shark torpedoes.

The Indian Navy has around 15 active submarines including one nuclear-powered Akula-class INS Chakra, Sindhughosh class (Kilo class) diesel-electric submarines (nine) and Shishumar class (four).