INS Vajrabahu

Summary

INS Vajrabahu is an Indian Navy submarine base of the Western Naval Command located near Mumbai in Maharashtra.[1] It was commissioned on 1 February 1996.[2]

INS Vajrabahu
Mumbai, Maharashtra
TypeNaval station
Site information
Controlled byIndian Navy
Site history
Built1 February 1996 (1996-02-01)
In use1987-present
Garrison information
OccupantsWestern Naval Command

History edit

After the Indian Navy acquired the Vela class submarines in 1973 from the Soviet Union, the submarine base operated from temporary facilities in Mumbai. The facilities for the submarine base continued to expand over time. With the commissioning of the Shishumar class submarines, a submarine base complex (SMBC) was commissioned on 22 August 1987 by the then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R. H. Tahiliani in Mumbai for the submarine fleet of the Western Naval Command.[3]

This operations base was expanded to include submarine support facilities and commissioned as INS Vajrabahu on 1 February 1996 by Admiral Vijai Singh Shekhawat. In the ensuing years, a Submarine Motion Control Simulator, Attack Simulator and a water tower building were added to the base.[4]

Objective edit

The base operates and maintains a sizable part of the Submarine Arm by providing material and logistic support to the Sindhughosh Class and Shishumar Class submarines based in Mumbai. It also has a non-dieted sick bay and handles preparation and maintenance of individual escape suits for submarine personnel. INS Vajrabahu is the seat of the Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) (COMCOS (W)). The COMCOS is also the commanding officer of the base.

See also edit

Indian Navy
Integrated commands and units
Other lists

References edit

  1. ^ "Indian Naval Bases". Global Security. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  2. ^ "INS Vajrabahu". Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  3. ^ "The Second Submarine Base – INS Vajrabahu". The Indian Submariner. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  4. ^ "INS Vajrabahu | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 28 December 2015.

18°55′34.428″N 72°50′11.5434″E / 18.92623000°N 72.836539833°E / 18.92623000; 72.836539833