New Delhi: India's second Scorpene-class submarine INS Khanderi, possessing superior stealth and other major combat capabilities, is slated to be commissioned into service by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Mumbai on Saturday, officials said.
Also, INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P-17A frigates, will be launched and an aircraft carrier drydock will be inaugurated on Saturday.
With the commissioning of 'Khanderi' and launch of 'Nilgiri', the combat potential of Navy will "go up much fold", Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, the vice chief of the Navy, had earlier said.
The aircraft carrier drydock, housed within the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, is capable of docking India's largest ship INS Vikramaditya and has the ability to maintain ships for decades to come, Kumar said.
"The three events lined up for September 28 are in line with our prime minister's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)," he said.
INS Khanderi, the second Scorpene-class submarine that can attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on the surface, was launched at the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai on January 2017.
The first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned into the Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 2017. On the occasion, Modi had said Kalvari was an excellent example of 'Make in India' and will boost the Navy's might.
"After commissioning of Khanderi and launch of Nilgiri by the defence minister's wife and the inauguration of the drydock, the minister has plans for spending a day at sea with the navy onboard INS Vikramaditya.
"That will be on September 28 evening and forenoon of September 29. He will witness all naval actions including missile firing and various other exercises at sea before disembarking and returning to Delhi," the vice chief of Navy said.