Article Posted on : - Apr 20, 2022

Indian Navy's sixth and final scorpene submarine of Project-75 named Vagsheer being launched by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), in Mumbai, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Photo: PTI.

MUMBAI (PTI): The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders here on Wednesday launched INS Vagsheer, the last of the six submarines under Project 75.

The submarine was launched by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar.

Post-launch, the submarine will undergo a comprehensive and rigorous set of tests and trials for more than a year to ensure that it is fully combat-worthy.

Named after sandfish, a deadly deep water sea predator of the Indian Ocean, the first submarine 'Vagsheer' was commissioned in December 1974. It was decommissioned in April 1997.

The new submarine is the latest incarnation of its earlier version, as according to naval parlance a ship never ceases to exist. Even after a ship/submarine is decommissioned, a new ship/submarine replaces the old one with the same name.

In November 2020, the Navy commissioned the fourth submarine under Project-75. In February, the sea trials for the fifth submarine commenced.

INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi and INS Karang have already been commissioned.