Indian Navy commissions Submarine Escape Training Facility Vinetra

The Indian Navy commissioned its indigenously designed and developed Kalvari Submarine Escape Training Facility on 13 September 2024 at its premier submarine training base, INS Satavahana, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The INS Satavahana is under the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.

L&T Defence has constructed the Kalvari Submarine Escape Training Facility, Vinetra(meaning Trainer). 

About Kalvari Submarine Escape Training Facility Vinetra

The Kalvari Submarine Escape Training Facility will train the submarine crews of the Kalvari class of conventional submarines operated by the Indian Navy. It will train the crew to save their lives and escape from the submarine when it is in distress due to an accident or under attack.

The facility is equipped with a five-meter escape tower integrated with an adjacent diving basin.

The Vinetra facility was developed under the government's Make in India facility and Atma Nirbhar Bharat campaign to make India self-reliant in critical defence technology and facilities.

Kalvari Class Submarine of the Indian Navy 

The Kalvari class submarine is being constructed in India under Project 75 of the Indian Navy, under which six submarines were to be constructed. 

In 2005, India and France signed a $3.75 billion deal to construct six conventional Scorpene-class submarines in India with technology transfer from France.

The French company Naval Group was to provide the technology, while the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) was to construct it. 

The 2000-tonne INS Kalvari class submarine is capable of performing all types of missions, such as surface vessel warfare, anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations, and intelligence gathering.

Submarine Built under Project 75 

• The first submarine built under Project 75, INS Kalvari, was launched in 2017. Since then, four more submarines have been inducted into the Indian Navy. The sixth submarine, INS Vaghsheer, is undergoing sea trials. 
• The Kalvari class submarines are - INS Kalvari,INS Khanderi,INS Karanj,INS Vela, INS Vagir and INS Vaghsheer.

At present, the Indian Navy operates 16 conventional submarines and two nuclear-powered submarines, INS Arihant and INS Arighat.

The conventional submarines are seven Russian Sindhughosh-class, five Indo-French Kalvari-class, and four German Shishumar-class submarines.

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