INS Vagsheer (S26)

For other ships with the same name, see INS Vagsheer (S43).

INS Vagsheer (S26) (lit. 'Sandfish') is the sixth submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine based on the Scorpène class, designed by French naval defence and energy group Naval Group and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited, an Indian shipyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra.^[12] The commissioning commanding officer of Vagsheer is Commander Vineet Sharma.^[13]

History
India
Name	Vagsheer
Namesake	Vagsheer (S43)
Ordered	2005
Builder	Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai
Launched	20 April 2022[1]
Acquired	9 December 2024
Commissioned	15 January 2025
Identification	Pennant number: S26
Motto	वीरता वर्चसव विजित। "Courage, Dominance And Victory"
Status	Active
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Kalvari-class submarine
Displacement	Surfaced: 1,615 tonnes (1,589 long tons) Submerged: 1,775 tonnes (1,747 long tons)[2]
Length	67.5 m (221 ft 5 in)[3]
Beam	6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)[4]
Height	12.3 m (40 ft 4 in)[3]
Draught	5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)[4]
Propulsion	4 x MTU 12V 396 SE84 diesel engines[4] 360 x battery cells[3] DRDO PAFC Fuel Cell AIP (To be added in mid-life refit)
Speed	Surfaced: 11 kn (20 km/h) Submerged: 20 kn (37 km/h)[4]
Range	6,500 nmi (12,000 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h) (surfaced) 550 nmi (1,020 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) (submerged)[5]
Endurance	50 days[6]
Test depth	350 metres (1,150 ft) [7]
Complement	8 officers 35 sailors[8]
Electronic warfare & decoys	C303/S anti-torpedo countermeasure system[9]
Armament	6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes for 18 SUT torpedoes OR SM.39 Exocet anti-ship missiles 30 mines in place of torpedoes[10][11]

Capable of enemy radar evasion, area surveillance, intelligence gathering, advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape.^[11] The submarine has the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons with both 18 torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles at the same time, underwater or surfaced. The submarine is armed with 18 torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare. The stealth technology-enabled Kalvari-class submarine is 67.5 metres (221 ft 5 in) long with a beam of 6.2 metres (20 ft 4 in), and has a maximum speed of 11 knots (20 km/h) surfaced and 20 knots (37 km/h) submerged. The submarine has a maximum diving depth of 350 metres (1,150 ft) and can stay at sea for 50 days. The diesel-electric propulsion system utilises 360 battery cells.^[11]

Etymology

The submarine has been named after the INS Vagsheer (S43), a Vela-class submarine of the Indian Navy which was in service from 1974 to 1997.^[14] Vagsheer refers to a type of sandfish found in the Indian Ocean.^[15]

Construction and career

Vagsheer, the last of the six submarine, was launched on 20 April 2022.^[16][1] The ship started its sea trials on 19 May 2023.^[17] Initially, commissioning was scheduled for December 2024.^[18] The submarine was delivered on 9 January 2025^[19]

The submarine was commissioned on 15 January 2025 along with INS Surat and INS Nilgiri.^[20][21]

Gallery

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