INS Vagir

INS Vagir is the fifth submarine of six Kalvari-class submarines of the Indian Navy which was commissioned at Mazagon Dock, Mumbai. INS Vagir is an advanced submarine with stealth features and equipped with anti-ship missiles and long range guided torpedo. INS Vagir was commissioned on 23 March, 2023 in the presence of Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff.

INS Vagir is named after the word which means “Sand Shark”.Sand Shark represents Stealth and Fearlessness, two qualities that are synonymous with the ethos of a submariner. INS Vagir is the fifth in the series of six Navy’s diesel-electric attack submarines in the Scorpene-class. First four Kalvari-class submarines are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela. Last submarine of this series is INS Vagsheer. INS Vagir has been inducted to Western Naval Command headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Commissioning of INS Vagir is coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the occasion of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” celebration. INS Vagir is indigenously built in Mazagon Dockyard with assistance from French defense firm “Naval Group” formerly DCNS.

Chinese threat

Chinese Naval presence in Indian Ocean region is a major concern for Indian Navy. According to Admiral R Harikumar, Indian Navy has identified Chinese spy vessels in Indian Ocean since 2008. Western Naval Command is responsible for Arabian Sea and Western Indian Ocean. INS Vagir and all Kalvari-class submarines will boost Indian Navy’s surveillance capability against Chinese and Pakistani intrusion in Indian territorial waters. Chinese investments and development in Pakistan’s Gwadar port might become a bigger threat in future warfare.