The Submarine Yard Way back in 1984 Shrimati Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, unveiled a plaque and thereby was born the Submarine yard of MDL.  In keeping with the existing system of designating the yards, the submarine yard was christened as East Yard.  With its spacious, well ventilated and well-lit covered workshops, spanking new and modern CNC machines, self-sufficient service facilities and a young, dedicated Germany trained workforce, the yard soon became the cynosure of all eyes in rest of the company.  Created with the express aim of building submarines, East Yard soon carved out a niche for itself through dedicated work, attention to quality and eagerness to adhere to schedules.  The work culture inculcated in the East Yard personnel stood them in good stead when, on completion of the two SSK class submarines viz. INSM Shalki and Shankul, East Yard was assigned the responsibility of constructing one Type 1241 RE class of Missile Boat.  Although this was to be built following Russian Norms, East Yard technocrats rose to the occasion and delivered a fine vessel that is still serving the nation with competence. Equipped with modern technology and manned by specially trained personnel, submarines are being constructed and refitted in the East Yard of Mazagon Dock Ltd., a unit set up with advanced state-of-the art machinery, required to achieve the exacting and stringent quality standards in submarine construction. A welding training school has been established to develop and maintain welding techniques and procedures at high standards and continuous updating of techniques. The East Yard boasts of facilities like a fully computerized drawing office and excellent quality control laboratories. Special purpose machines have been installed for pressure hull fabrication, stern tube boring, machining of penetrations and hatch covers, installation of precision high technology equipment like radars, sonars, periscopes, hoistable masts, Submarine Fire Control System (SFCS) and other command and control equipment including weapon launch systems. Submarine Repair & Modernisation Mazagon Dock has also undertaken the task of refitting and modernizing of SSK Class  submarines of the Indian Navy, thus meeting a critical need of the country, indigenously.  The covered dry dock of the submarine yard provides an ideal environment for repair of submarines.  Mazagon Dock completed the first ever indigenous medium refit of the Type 209 submarine, Shishumar in the scheduled period of two years.  The first medium refit-cum-modernisation project of another submarine of the same class, Shankush was also successfully completed in 2005. Mazagon Dock has also proved its expertise in carrying out repairs of submarines of Russian origin by successfully completing the short refit of Sindhurakshak. The Scorpene The Scorpene Submarine has been jointly developed by DCN of France and Navantia Spain and incorporates the very latest Naval technology.  At the heart of the submarine is the SUBTICS integrated combat system, a highly computerised central management system, which oversees all of the submarine’s sensors and its weapons.  Each Scorpene will have a total complement of just 31. Submarines are, in fact, the ultimate stealth weapons.  Despite advances in sonar technology over the decades, detecting, tracking and targeting submarines remains extremely difficult, particularly in the Indian Ocean where the salinity of the seas and the presence of thermal zones of variable water temperature, make submarine detection extremely difficult.  Submarines like the Scorpene make this game of detection and counter-detection even tougher.  Designed to be extremely silent, the Scorpene can loiter under water for days, scouring the seas through long-range passive sonar signals, which detect the presence of other submarines and warships in the vicinity The Contract   The contract, estimated to cost $3.5 billion, was signed at the Defence Ministry by representatives of the Indian and French governments.  Designated as Project-75 Scorpene, it will see the latest in French conventional submarine building technology being turned into reality by the expert and experienced technocrats of MDL.  The project will be managed by ARMARIS, the prime contractor from the French side and executed in India by MDL.  Complexity of the construction can be judged from the fact that the first submarine of the series will be delivered in year 2012 and the rest in the following five years one annually.  Transfer of Technology will involve training MDL engineers and technicians in France as well as training in Indian Navy personnel in operating and maintaining these sophisticated submarines. The Scorpene represents the state of the art craftsmanship in conventional submarine design and construction. Its combat management system and low acoustic signature give it an edge over contemporary submarines.   The Scorpene construction put the challenge of absorbing yet another different technology and East Yard rose to the occasion and accepted it with determination.  Already the efforts have started bearing fruit and East Yard is well advanced in its path of constructing a trial section as required by the French technology supplier DCN.  With new technology comes new tasks and East Yard has adequately geared itself up to accomplish them within the constraints of an exacting schedule, by upgrading the welding stations and other machinery in a time bound manner.