Amid increasing Chinese footprints in the region, the Indian Navy will be commissioning a Kalvari class submarine Vela next week. The commissioning of Vela, the fourth of the Scorpene-class submarines will take place in Mumbai on November 25.

Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh will commission submarine Vela into operational service on November 25, the Indian Navy said on Tuesday. Built by state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in collaboration with the French Naval Group, submarine Vela was launched on May 6, 2019, under Project 75 (P75). The submarine has completed its sea, harbour trials as well as weapon and sensor trials despite the COVID-19 restrictions.

Being viewed as a major step towards the government’s flagship Make in India programme, also referred to as Aatmanirbhar Bharat, three of the submarines of the Kalvari class have already been commissioned into the Indian Navy to date. The commissioning of the vessel will boost the Indian Navy’s lethal power in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), which has emerged as the geopolitical epicentre in light of China’s emergence as a global power and the clash of the US interests on the backdrop.

Rajnath Singh to commission guided-missile destroyer Visakhapatnam

“We live in a time when global and regional balances of power are shifting rapidly and the region of most rapid change is undoubtedly the Indian Ocean Region,” Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff said, news agency PTI quoted.

In yet another event, the Indian Navy will also commission a guided-missile destroyer ‘Visakhapatnam’ on November 21. ‘Visakhapatnam’ will be commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The induction ceremonies of both the warships will take place at the naval dockyard in Mumbai next week.