Scorpene class submarine Karanj launched at Mumbai’s Mazagon Docks: 10 facts

The third Scorpene class submarine Karanj was launched at Mumbai's Mazagon Docks amid chants of invocations from Atharva Veda on Thursday. Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's wife Reena Lanba launched the submarine. 

The submarine has been constructed by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last month commissioned the first of the six Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari into the Indian Navy.  The second Scorpene-class submarine Khanderi, was launched on January 12, 2017 and is undergoing the rigorous phase of sea trials and is expected to be commissioned later this year. 

Here are some facts about Karanj: 

1- Karanj is the third of the six Scorpene-class submarines being built by MDL under the Project 75 programme.

2- The submarines are being built in collaboration with French shipbuilding major Naval Group (formerly DCNS).

3- The new submarine is a new avatar of erstwhile Karanj which was commissioned in Indian Navy on September 4, 1969 and was retired on August 1, 2003. Karanj served the nation for 34 years and also took part in 1971 operations.

India set to launch third Scorpene class submarine Karanj https://t.co/5ixxPkSLAw pic.twitter.com/mUoeOmVXhw

— DNA (@dna) January 31, 2018

4- The new submarine has an overall length of 67.5 metre and a height of about 12.3 metre. 

5-- The Scorpene class submarines are provided with all means and communications to ensure interoperability with other components of a naval task, an Indian Navy official said. 

6- The state-of- the-art technology utilised for construction of the Scorpene class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape.

7- Karanj has the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons.

8- The stealth of this potent platform is enhanced by the special attention given to various signatures, giving it invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines.

Erstwhile Karanj was commissioned in @indiannavy on 04 Sep 1969 and was retired on 01 Aug 2003. Today she is reborn in a new avatar pic.twitter.com/beodU1tZjA

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 31, 2018

9- Scorpene submarines can undertake multifarious types of missions i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.

10- The submarine will undergo rigorous tests for the next one year before it is commissioned.