INS Vela (S40)

For other ships with the same name, see INS Vela.

History
India
Name	INS Vela
Namesake	Vela (Stingray)
Launched	28 January 1972
Commissioned	31 August 1973
Decommissioned	25 June 2010
General characteristics
Class and type	Vela-class submarine
Displacement	1,952 t (1,921 long tons) surfaced 2,475 t (2,436 long tons) submerged
Length	91.3 m (299 ft 6 in)
Beam	7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
Draught	6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) submerged
Range	20,000 mi (32,000 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 380 mi (610 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Test depth	250 m (820 ft)
Complement	75 (incl 8 officers)
Armament	10 x 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes with 22 SET-65E/SAET-60 torpedoes 44 mines in lieu of torpedoes

INS Vela (S40) was the lead ship of four diesel-electric Vela-class submarines of the Indian Navy. The submarine was commissioned on 31 August 1973 in Riga, Latvian SSR. Along with her sister ship Vagli, she spent almost 10 years undergoing a protracted refit by Hindustan Shipyard. After 37 years of service, the submarine was decommissioned on 25 June 2010. The submarine was claimed by the Eastern Naval Command to be the oldest operational submarine in the world at the time of her decommissioning.

Vela is the name of an Indian fish from the stingray species known for its aggression and offensive power, and the ability to camouflage itself from predators.