India's first indigenous stealth submarine starts sea trials

After a much-awaited delay, India's first indigenous stealth submarine has finally undergone its maiden sea trial, defense sources said Monday.

"Kalvari (Tiger Shark), the first of the six French Scorpene-class submarines being built in collaboration with a French firm at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd for the Indian Navy, went to sea for the first time off the coast of Mumbai Sunday," the sources said.

In fact, the submarine sailed out in the morning and a number of tests on the propulsion system, auxiliary equipment and systems, communication equipment and steering gear were carried out before she came back to the harbor, the sources said.

After undergoing a barrage of sea, surface, diving, weapons, noise trials, the submarine will be inducted into the Indian Navy, giving a major boost to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Make In India initiative.

The state-of-the-art stealth submarine can launch a crippling attack on enemies with precision-guided weaponry, including torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, is equipped to operate in all areas and capable of undertaking multifarious missions like anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. Enditem