INS Vagir: To strengthen and boost the force’s prowess, the Indian Navy has commissioned the 5^th Kalvari class submarine ‘Vagir’ at the naval dockyard in Mumbai today in the presence of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.

According to the officials, Vagir is capable of undertaking diverse missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and surveillance missions.

‘Vagir’ means sand shark. It represents stealth and fearlessness, two qualities synonymous with the ethos of a submariner, said the Navy. The submarine is known to be a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean.

INS Vagir

The INS Vagir has been built by Mazogon Dock Shipbuilders Limited here with technology transfer from France.

In a release issued by the Navy said that the submarine will boost the Indian Navy’s capability to further India’s maritime interests in deterring the enemy, and conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to provide a decisive blow in times of crisis.

It said that the submarine is equipped with some of the best sensors in the world. Its weapons package includes sufficient wire-guided torpedoes and sub-surface to surface missiles to neutralize a large enemy fleet.

INS Vagir has the capability of launching marine commandos for special operations. Its powerful diesel engines can quickly charge batteries for a stealth mission.

It has a state-of-the-art torpedo decoy system for self-defence, the release added.

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Chief of Naval Staff on INS Vagir

Speaking to the news agency ANI, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar said, “Vagir is a lethal platform with a formidable weapon package. Vagir is the 3rd submarine inducted into the Navy in a span of 24 months. It is also a shining testimony to the expertise of our shipyards to construct complex & complicated platforms.”