In a significant milestone for the Indian Navy, the MH60R helicopter undertook maiden landings on the indigenously designed and constructed destroyer, INS Kolkata, said Indian Navy on Friday. This achievement provides a major boost to the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare capability, the navy added.
According to Indian Navy, the MH60R helicopter is a versatile platform known for its exceptional ASW, surveillance, anti-shipping, and Search and Rescue capabilities. Its integration with Indian Navy warships would further strengthen the Navy’s capability to counter underwater threats, monitor maritime activities, and conduct surveillance operations, the navy said.
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Meanwhile, the sixth Scorpene Submarine of Project-75, Yard 11880, Indian Navy’s Kalvari class, ‘Vaghsheer’ commenced her sea trials on Thursday. The submarine was launched on April 20, 2022, from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). Vagsheer is scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in early 2024 after the completion of these trials.
MH60R helicopter undertook its maiden landing on the indigenously designed & constructed destroyer INS Kolkata.
(Source: Indian Navy) pic.twitter.com/rCxW8jtvfi
— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2023
MDL has ‘delivered’ three submarines of Project – 75 in 24 months, and the commencement of sea trials of the sixth submarine is a significant milestone. This is indicative of the boost towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.
The submarine will now undergo intense trials of all its systems at sea, these include propulsion systems, weapons, and sensors. INS Vagsheer is named after the Sand Fish– a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean.
The first Submarine Vagsheer, ex-Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 26 December 1974 and was decommissioned on 30 April 1997 after almost three decades of yeoman service to the nation.
The state-of-art technology utilized in the Scorpene has ensured superior stealth features, including advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape, and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. Its stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines.
According to an official statement, “The Submarine (Vagsheer) is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. It is a potent platform, marking a transformational shift in submarine operations.”
“With the launch of Vagsheer, India further cements its position as a Submarine Building Nation and MDL has more than lived up to its reputation as Warship and Submarine Builders to the Nation,” it read further.