Indian Navy annually Observes the Submarine Day on 8th December to commemorate the induction of the first submarine, the erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on 8th December 1967.
- 8th December 2022 marks the observance of the 55th Submarine Day.
Background:
The submarine arm of the Indian Navy was born on 8th December 1967 with the induction of INS Kalvari, the first Scorpene class submarine in India, at Riga in Latvia, the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
- To mark this occasion 8th December is observed as Indian Navy’s Submarine Day.
About INS Kalvari:
i.Kalvari is the Malayalam name for Tiger Shark, a predator in the Indian Ocean.
ii.It was a diesel-electric submarine of the Foxtrot Class, with a surface speed of 16 knots while the submerged speed was 15 knots.
iii.It had a range of 32000 km at a speed of 8 knots on surface and a submerged range of 610 km at a speed of 10 knots.
iv.INS Kalvari was decommissioned on 31st May 1996.
Note: Commander KS Subramanian was the first Commanding Officer of INS Kalvari.
Events:
On the occasion of 55th Submarine Day, wreaths were laid at the Gaurav Stambh a monument at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra to honour the submarines who sacrificed their lives for India.
Key Points:
The Indian Navy currently operates sixteen diesel powered submarines. India’s submarine fleet is based at two locations: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on the east coast and Mumbai, Maharashtra on the west coast.
The 16 submarines includes,
- Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBNs): 1
- Diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs): 15
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff– Admiral R Hari Kumar
Integrated Headquarter Ministry of Defence (Navy)– New Delhi, Delhi
