Rajnath commissions indigenously built submarine INS Khanderi

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi  : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 28, 2019, said that the Government is deeply conscious of the requirements of the Armed Forces and remains committed to providing requisite focus and financial support for its modernisation. He was speaking at the Commissioning Ceremony of indigenously built submarine INS Khanderi in Mumbai.

Rajnath 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,”Rajnath said  adding that the Indian Navy has the confidence which no other country in the Indian Ocean possesses, according to a PIB release. He urged not just the security forces, but every citizen of the country to stay alert and united to meet any future challenges. “We have to be on the guard against state and non-state actors from across the border,” he said.

Rajnath said the nation can never forget the exceptional role Navy 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.

The Defence Minister also said that the Government’s progressive steps in Jammu and Kashmir are receiving global support, while the Prime Minister of Pakistan is running door-to-door unsuccessfully. He said, during the recent visit of Prime Minister  Narendra Modi to USA, President Donald Trump acknowledged the potential of the Indian Government and was of the view that Modi is capable of handling Pakistan-based terrorism.R

Describing INS Khanderi as a ‘potent combatant’, Rajnath 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. He termed the commissioning of INS Khanderi as yet another significant and historic step in showcasing the will and intent of the Government.

“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 said.

INS Khanderi is the second of Kalvari Class diesel electric attack submarines of the Indian Navy. 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 indigenously constructed in India and commissioned by the Prime Minister in 2017.

INS Khanderi 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 it 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.