- Captain Anish Mathew, the commanding officer of INS Vela, on Wednesday said that the submarine has an indigenous set of batteries and an advanced communication suite of indigenous make
NE NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, NOV 25
The Indian Navy on Thursday commissioned Scorpene-class submarine INS Vela at the naval dockyard in Mumbai, in the presence of the chief of naval staff Admiral Karambir Singh. INS Vela is the fourth Scorpene-class submarine to be commissioned under Project 75.
Commissioning ceremony is today in presence of Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Naval Staff & will mark induction of submarine into @indiannavy as INS Vela
Ceremony will entitle submarine to fly naval ensign & 🇮🇳 & also recognise as legitimate & sovereign representative of India pic.twitter.com/6FMM3hasDR
— PRO Defence Gujarat (@DefencePRO_Guj) November 25, 2021
It has been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in collaboration with M/s Naval Group of France.
Addressing the commissioning event, Admiral Singh said on Thursday that INS Vela can undertake an entire spectrum of submarine operations. “Given today’s dynamic and complex security situation, its capability and firepower will play a crucial role in enhancing the navy’s ability to protect India’s maritime interests,” Singh added.
The chief of naval staff also said that Thursday’s commissioning of INS Vela marks another high point in the partnership between India and France.
The submarine possesses advanced stealth and combat capabilities. Attacks from Vela can be carried using torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles at the same time, be it on the surface or underwater.
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— PRO Defence Gujarat (@DefencePRO_Guj) November 25, 2021
The previous version of Vela was commissioned in 1973 and it was in service for 37 years. It was decommissioned in 2010.
Captain Anish Mathew, the commanding officer of INS Vela, on Wednesday said that the submarine has an indigenous set of batteries and an advanced communication suite of indigenous make.
Vela has taken the ‘Make in India ‘spirit a notch higher with the fitment indigenised battery cells, which power a very silent permanently magnetised propulsion motor. The construction of the submarine under the supervision of in-house design overseeing team of MDL, naval engineers from Submarine Design Group (SDG), Submarine Overseeing Team (SOT) and training crew by Indian Training Team (ITT) is a major milestone towards ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’.
The traditional crest for Indian Naval ships consists of three sail ships on top symbolising India’s rich maritime history. The ribbon of crown depicts the Ashoka wheel surrounded by a horse and a bull. A ring of lotus buds encircles the unique motif of each ship. Vela, being named after a type of Indian fish belonging to the stingray family, the crest depicts the fish swimming across the blue seas. The stingray is known for stealth, aggression and offensive power. Its flat body allows it to sit on the bottom of the ocean, camouflage itself to predators swimming above as it lurks for its prey underneath.
The submarine’s mascot is the Sub-ray which is an amalgamation of the submarine and the stingray. It symbolises the metamorphosis of the submarine’s character with the qualities of a stingray. The submarine’s logo depicts the Sub-ray lurking in the sea with the backdrop of the national flag symbolizing the unit being dedicated to the national cause.
The submarine’s motto “VIGILANT, VALIANT, VICTORIOUS” epitomizes the submarine’s spirit in achieving the tasks at hand. The motto inspires the crew to the alert and prepared always to face and surmount all challenges the submarine faces and emerge triumphant every time.
This is the second major induction by the navy in less than a week.
On November 21, the navy commissioned INS Visakhapatnam, which is the first stealth-guided missile destroyer ship of Project 15B. The ship is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks and missions spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare. It is also equipped with major indigenous weapons such as indigenous medium range surface to air missile systems, the surface to surface missiles, torpedo tubes and launchers.
