The submarine Khanderi (Express photo) The submarine Khanderi (Express photo)

The Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) will deliver its second submarine, Khanderi, to the Navy by the end of this year, senior MDL officials said on Thursday.

After commissioning its first submarine, Kalvari, in December 2017, the company will deliver five other submarines to the Navy by 2022.

According to the deal signed between Navy and MDL in October 2005, the company is required to build six scorpene class submarines — primarily diesel-electric attack submarines — in collaboration with M/s Naval group of France, under Project 75.

Senior MDL officials said that more than 50 per cent of its engineering content has been manufactured in India.

“We will deliver the second submarine to the Navy by the end of 2018. Most of its trials have been conducted. The third submarine is being readied for sea trials and will be commissioned by next year. We will deliver the remaining submarines in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively,” said Captain Rajiv Lath, Director of MDL submarine and heavy engineering.

The submarines entail advanced acoustic silencing techniques and produce lower levels of radiated noise.

Senior MDL officials said Khanderi is equipped with an integrated platform management system that will ensure better maneuvering of periphery and undertake multifarious types of missions, including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying as well as area surveillance up to six meters of the periphery.

“The total project cost of building the submarines is estimated to be Rs 30,000 crore. We aim to undertake more ship and submarine repair works, which will give MDL an average revenue of Rs 1,000 crore per vessel,” a MDL

official said.

Officials added that they are in talks with other countries to discuss possibilities of exporting underwater vessels and unmanned submarines. “Many foreign delegations from Europe and America have visited our docks, expressing interest in our ship-building capacity. We are eyeing many high value orders in the future,” the MDL official said.

The company also plans to use up to 40 acres at Nhava in Navi Mumbai to develop a ship yard, which will have facilities to build, repair and lift ships.

What is KHANDERI?

The submarine Khanderi has been named after the Island fort of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which played a vital role in ensuring his supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also another name for the tiger shark.

The submarine was launched (first entered water) on January 13, 2017. It can easily communicate with other components of naval task force, including ships and aircraft.

It can also go on multifarious types of missions undertaken by any modern submarine, such as anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance and mine laying.

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