Indian Navy commissions 3rd Scorpene sub
INS Karanj is the third of six Scorpene submarines being built at MDL

INS Karanj was commissioned at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on Wednesday | Photo: Indian Navy

The Indian Navy commissioned it’s latest Scorpene submarine, the INS Karanj at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Wednesday.

This is the third of six Kalvari-class submarines on order under the Project 75 program, construction of which began at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in 2009 with the collaboration of France’s Naval Group (formerly DCNS).

The submarine has been conferred the name of the erstwhile Foxtrot-class Karanj, which was decommissioned in 2003.

INS Kalvari, the first of the Scorpenes, was commissioned in 2017 and the second boat, INS Khanderi was commissioned in 2019.

The fourth and fifth submarines of the line, Vela and Vaglir were launched in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Both vessels are currently undergoing sea trials.

Captain Gaurav Mehta, CO of the INS Karanj presents a memento to Admiral V.S. Shekhawat inside the submarine | Photo: Indian Navy

Former commanding officer of the Foxtrot-class Karanj during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, who was also part of its commissioning crew in 1969, and later navy chief, Admiral Admiral V.S. Shekhawat (Retired) was the chief guest at the event.

“In recognition of the valiant action of her officers and crew, a number of personnel were decorated, including award of Vir Chakra to the then Commanding Officer Cdr V.S. Shekhawat,” said a navy statement, ” which also pointed out that ‘the commissioning Commanding Officer of the old INS Karanj Cdr M.N.R. Samant later on became the first Chief of The Naval Staff of the newly formed Bangladesh Navy in the year 1971’.