In pics: Khanderi, second submarine in Scorpene project, hits the sea

Khanderi — the second of the Kalvari class submarines — was launched at the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) by the minister of state for defence, Dr Subhash Bhamre.

Khanderi — the second of the Kalvari class submarines — was launched at the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) by the minister of state for defence, Dr Subhash Bhamre on Thursday.

Khanderi submarine being launched at Mazgaon on Thursday. (HT)

Navy officials said all the submarine’s equipment has been installed and 95% of its cabling and piping has been completed. Pressure testing, setting-to-work and commissioning of various systems is currently in progress, and will continue after the submarine is launched. The ‘all-important’ safety milestone of vacuum testing was completed in the first attempt itself, and within a single day on January 5, said officials. This matched the record of ‘Kalvari’, which also completed the test in one shot.

Between now and December 2017, the submarine will undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in the harbour and at sea, on the surface and underwater. These trials are designed to test each system to its fullest capacity. Following this, the submarine will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Khanderi. This will be preceded by the commissioning of Kalvari later this year. The other four submarines will follow in the wake of Khanderi at intervals of nine months.

The ongoing project for the series construction of six Scorpene submarines, has M/s DCNS of France, as collaborator and includes ‘Transfer of Technology’, with MDL as the ‘Builder’. Officials added that series construction of six submarines makes the Scorpene Project one of the largest such projects globally.

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2nd Kalvari class submarine Khanderi to be launched on Jan 12