Government is deeply conscious of the requirements of the Armed Forces and remains committed in providing requisite focus and financial support for its modernisation, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh said today at the Commissioning Ceremony of indigenously built submarine INS Khanderi in Mumbai. He said due impetus has been given for timely acquisition of state-of-the-art weapons, sensors and platforms, adding that the Government has given more freedom and support to armed forces to take decisions in the nation’s interest. “We are committed to far-reaching changes in our defence preparedness”, he said.
“You cannot buy a confident Navy. A confident Navy is always built by a confident Government”, Raksha Mantri said, adding that the Indian Navy has the confidence which no other country in the Indian Ocean possesses.
Underlining the importance of Oceans in development trajectory of a nation, Raksha Mantri said, oceans are gateway of opportunities as well as grave threats if the maritime forces are not alert. He said, the Indian Navy should be the last men standing in the Indian Ocean Region. “We need to safeguard the sea lanes of Indian Ocean to maintain and promote peace & trade in the region. We care about the Indian Ocean & we will take strong action if anyone tries to disturb the peace”, Raksha Mantri added.
The Minister said the nation can never forget the exceptional role it played in 1971 war when Operation Trident and Operation Python broke the backbone of Pakistan Navy. He said Pakistan should understand that today with the Government’s strong resolve and advancement in naval capacity with additions like INS Khanderi, India is capable of giving a much bigger blow to it.
Raksha Mantri assured the Indian Navy will not pose any threat to any peace-loving nation but will build a sense of confidence and mutual trust with all big-small nations in the Indian Ocean Region.
Describing INS Khanderi as a ‘potent combatant’, Rajnath Singh congratulated the Navy and the Western Naval Command on its induction and for achieving very high levels of operational preparedness prior its commissioning. He said it is a matter of great pride that India is one of the few countries capable of constructing their own Submarine.
Raksha Mantri said construction of submarines not only benefits the industry, but also helps evolve a positive culture of stringent quality control and complex engineering. “It brings plough-back benefits for the economy of the nation at large with significant contributions towards ‘Make in India’”, he added.
“The name Khanderi is inspired by the dreaded ‘Sword Tooth Fish’ a deadly fish known to hunt whilst swimming close to the bottom of the ocean. Khanderi is also name of an island fort built by great Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was man of great valour, courage and determination. He was one of the first Indian ruler in medieval era to recognise importance of strong Navy. Commissioning of INS Khanderi will bring same valour and sharpness back on sea.”, Rajnath Singh said.
INS Khanderi is the second of Kalvari Class diesel electric attack submarines of the Indian Navy. It has been built in India to the French Scorpene design and is the second submarine of the Project-75. Built indigenously by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, INS Khanderi is a lethal addition to Navy’s conventional submarine arsenal and is designed for silent and stealthy sub-surface operations.
INS Khanderi is the follow-on to INS Kalvari, which was the first of the French origin Scorpene class submarines being indigenously constructed in India and commissioned by the Prime Minister in 2017.
First put out to sea in 2017, INS Khanderi has undergone comprehensive sea trials, torpedo and missile firings to validate her fighting capability. She was handed over to the Indian Navy on completion of trials on September 19, 2019. At 67.5 meters long and 12.3 meters high, Khanderi embodies cutting edge technologies that ensure stealthy, silent operations underwater and is equipped with an array of torpedoes, missiles and sensors that enable her to detect, identify and destroy enemy targets.
The first submarine was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 6, 1968 and was decommissioned on October 18, 1989 after 20 years of service to the nation.
