New Delhi.02 March 2017. It was another feather in the already brimming cap of  the Indian Navy, which successfully conducted the maiden firing of an Anti-Ship missile from the first of the indigenously built Kalvari class submarines, during a test firing in the Arabian Sea.

The missile successfully hit a surface target at extended ranges during the trial firing, held this morning. This missile launch is a significant milestone, not only for the Kalvari, which is the first in a series of Scorpene class submarines being built in India, but also in enhancing the Indian Navy’s sub-surface warfare capability.

INS Kalvari is the first submarine in the P75 Scorpene Class.It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which is designed by DCNS (French naval defence and energy company) and  manufactured at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.The submarine has launched MBDA’s Exocet SM 39 missile during the test firing in the Arabian Sea.

Exocet SM39 is the submarine-launched version of the Exocet family. It features all weather capability, sea skimming flight, solid propellant and a high kill warhead. The missile has a range of 50 km, which enables the submarine to go into action while remaining out of enemy detection and weapon range. Flexibility and versatility are provided thanks to the system’s large launch envelope.

Housed in a water-tight, highly resistant, propelled and guided underwater vehicle, the aerial missile is ejected as soon as it breaks the surface, to ensure a very low culmination altitude. It then rapidly homes into the target at sea skimming level: it uses an inertial navigation system followed by autonomous terminal guidance from an active RF seeker.

All six Kalvari class submarines being built in India will be equipped with this anti-ship missile, which has a proven record in combat. These missiles will provide the submarines the ability to neutralise surface threats at extended ranges.

But a thought which is there  at this moment is -What about torpedoes on the Kalvari? A tiger that only has claws but no teeth  is not a tiger but that which has  both claws and teeth is ferocious.