The Indian Navy has successfully conducted the maiden firing of an Anti-Ship missile from the first of the indigenously built Kalvari class submarines, during a test firing in the Arabian Sea.
The missile successfully hit a surface target at extended ranges during the trial firing.
This missile launch is a significant milestone, not only for the Kalvari, which is the first in a series of Scorpene class submarines being built in India, but also in enhancing the Indian Navy’s sub-surface warfare capability.
All six Kalvari class submarines being built in India will be equipped with this anti-ship missile, which has a proven record in combat. These missiles will provide the submarines the ability to neutralise surface threats at extended ranges.
Kalvari is the first ship of Scorpene class submarines and was set afloat in the Naval Dockyard (Mumbai) and was brought back to Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited on 29 Oct 15.
Physically, Scorpene submarines are 67 meters long 6.2 meters wide and have 1,550 tones displacement. The Scorpene submarines would pack a potent punch.
The state-of-art features of the Scorpene include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The Stealth features give it invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines.