VISAKHAPATNAM, India, 14 February 2006 — President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam yesterday said it was time for India to develop its own submarines.

Kalam became the first president to make a sortie in a submarine — INS Sindhu Rakshak — on the concluding day of the two-day president’s fleet review.

Witnessing the intricacies of submarine operations, including the simulated launch of torpedoes, the president said he was delighted to be in the submarine and meet the officers and sailors in their working environment.

“My underwater journey in the submarine has given me the exposure to a new world and a great experience. My greetings to all of you,” he told the Indian Navy personnel.

“A strategic navy like ours needs a submarine fleet. The government recently launched construction program of submarines with state-of-the-art technology in the country which, I am sure, will pave the path for adding more and more submarines to our navy and simultaneously enable building of strong indigenous know-how in design, development and construction. We will be able to do it in much faster pace now due of the experience gained in our earlier construction of SSK-submarines,” the president said.

“Independent of whatever foreign collaboration, it is essential for the Indian Navy to launch the design and development of two types of submarines, one of the conventional class and the other strategic with long endurance capability. I have seen and studied the KILO Class submarine and SSK class submarine and also long endurance submarines that are taking shape,” he said.

“Since our submarine crew in future warfare would have to perform under the sea for long duration with high maneuver capability, there was need for providing more space for strategic weapons and sensors and making the interior design crew-friendly,” he added.

Kalam said India had made advances in the design and development of aerospace systems and sensor technology such as sonar, gyro system and control system design, structural design for stealth characteristics and hydro dynamic configuration.

“I have always seen naval design teams have shown the capability for indigenous design. Also, a long endurance submarine is being developed with partnership. This should give confidence to build special class of strategic submarines indigenously,” the president said.