New Delhi, March 16 A first-of-its-kind facility that will enable testing, maintenance, and servicing of critical pneumatic systems installed on Kalvari-class submarines has been commissioned at a technical workshop in Karwar, Karnataka, officials said on Monday.
Vice Admiral B Sivakumar, the Chief of Materiel (COM), Indian Navy, commissioned the "pneumatic RAM test facility" at the Naval Group India Workshop in Karwar, according to an official statement.
The facility marks a "key milestone" in strengthening India's indigenous capabilities for the maintenance and sustenance of the Kalvari-class submarines of the Indian Navy.
"Until now, these pneumatic RAMs had to be sent to France for testing and servicing, resulting in longer turnaround times and higher logistical costs," the statement said.
The new facility, commissioned on March 13, will "enable testing, maintenance, and servicing of critical pneumatic systems installed on Kalvari-class submarines, thereby enhancing the efficiency and reliability of maintenance operations," the statement said.
This maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility is only available in France, Brazil, and India, it said.
Vice Admiral Sivakumar said, "The commissioning of this pneumatic RAM test facility in India is an important step towards strengthening indigenous maintenance capabilities for our submarine fleet."
"The local availability of such specialized testing infrastructure will help reduce turnaround time, optimize costs, and further enhance the operational readiness of the Indian Navy's Kalvari-class submarines," he said.
The facility has been developed and manufactured in collaboration with Indian MSME partner, SEC Industries, reinforcing Naval Group's commitment to strengthening the domestic industrial ecosystem and supporting the government of India's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector, it said.
The Kalvari-class submarines, built under the P75 program in collaboration between Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Naval Group, represent a major milestone in India's submarine capability and the long-standing strategic partnership between India and France in naval defence.
Naval Group is present in India through its 100 per cent subsidiary Naval Group India, it said.
Established in September 2008, Naval Group India's mission has been to support the indigenisation of equipment for the Scorpene submarine, to develop the Indian defence ecosystem, as well as to develop design services in India with talented Indian engineers, the statement said.
Naval Group India endeavours to implement the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and evolve as a centre of excellence for support and maintenance of submarines by further empowering Indian industries and creating a robust ecosystem that can cater to the varied defence needs of the country, it added.
