Submarine Vagsheer and its features, capabilities

Vagsheer, the sixth submarine of the P75 project of the Indian Navy was launched recently.

About Submarine ‘Vagsheer’:

• Vagsheer is named after the sand fish, a deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean.
• The first submarine Vagsheer, from Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 26, 1974, and was decommissioned on April 30, 1997.
• The new Vagsheer will be officially named at the time of its commissioning.
• Specifications:
• Vagsheer can take up to eight officers and 35 men.
• It is 67.5 metres long and 12.3 metres high, with a beam measuring 6.2 metres.
• Vagsheer can reach top speed of 20 knots when submerged and a top speed of 11 knots when it surfaces.
• The hull, fin and hydroplanes are designed for minimum underwater resistance and all equipment inside the pressure hull is mounted on shock-absorbing cradles for enhanced stealth.
• Features:
• Vagsheer is a diesel attack submarine, designed to perform sea denial as well as access denial warfare against the adversary.
• It can do offensive operations across the spectrum of naval warfare including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance.
• It is enabled with a C303 anti-torpedo counter measure system.
• It can carry up to 18 torpedoes or Exocet anti-ship missiles, or 30 mines in place of torpedoes.
• Its superior stealth features include advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape, and it has the ability to launch a crippling attack using precision guided weapons, underwater or on surface.
• Scorpene submarines can undertake various types of missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.

Project 75 India (P-75I)

• P75I was first cleared in 2007, but lay dormant until now after undergoing numerous changes.
• The P75I project is part of a 30-year submarine building plan that ends in 2030.
• The project cost is about Rs. 45,000 crore.
• As part of this plan, India was to build 24 submarines — 18 conventional submarines and six nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) — as an effective deterrent against China and Pakistan.
• This project envisages the construction of six conventional submarines with better sensors and weapons and the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP).
• The project has been cleared under the strategic partnership model.
• Under P75, INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela have been commissioned. Sea trials are on for Vagir. Vagsheer is the sixth; its production was delayed due to the pandemic.