Kolkata,
22 Oct 2020: “Indian Naval Ship Kavaratti”, the last in the series
of four Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes’ (ASWC) built for the Indian Navy by Garden
Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, a Mini Ratna Category
1 & leading shipyard of the country, under Project 28,
was commissioned today. GRSE had delivered this weapon-intensive
platform to the Indian Navy in February this year.
INS Kavaratti was commissioned at Visakhapatnam by
the Chief of the Army Staff, General MM Naravane, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC,
in the presence of Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN(Retd), Chairman
& Managing Director, GRSE, and other senior officials of the Indian Navy. Commissioning
of the ship while braving constraints of COVID-19 highlights the determination
and commitment of the Indian Navy, GRSE and other stakeholders in strengthening
the maritime security of the nation.
The
timeline of the P28 class of ships built by GRSE was synchronized to factor in
the first-time unique indigenization efforts. Special High Strength Warship Grade Steel
Type DMR 249 A, was indigenously developed for these ships’ construction. INS Kavaratti and INS Kiltan are the first two major
warships in the country to have the unique feature of Superstructure made of Carbon Fiber Composite
Material. GRSE is the first shipyard in the country to have successfully
achieved this feat, wherein composite material has been integrated with the steel
hull of these two ships. This new age material, has led to an overall reduced weight which in turn
led to significant speed/ maneuverability improvements and increased stability
of over 20%.
Strategic
innovation and indigenization are at the heart of the first three Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes built by GRSE.
These potent platforms demonstrated their expertise in several Overseas
Operations and International Maritime Exhibitions. INS Kavaratti commissioned
today is expected to follow suit. Equipped to fight in Nuclear, Biological and
Chemical Warfare conditions, featuring the integration of a host of weapons and
sensors, the P28 Class of ships are a milestone in the journey towards “Atmanirbhar
Abhiyaan” of the Government of India.
These ships are designed to be equally effective in
the littorals as well as the deep oceans. INS Kavaratti is a
versatile Anti-Submarine Warfare platform, 109-meter-long, 14.1-meter-wide and
a deep displacement of approx. 3250 tons. With a maximum speed of 25 knots, and an endurance of over 3400 NM at 18
knots speed, the ship can accommodate 17 officers and 106 sailors. This
dominant platform is utilized for neutralizing enemy submarines by using
weapons like torpedoes, rocket launchers and helicopters. The design with an
indigenous content of over 81%, was achieved in house by the Directorate of
Naval Design and GRSE while the hull of the ship was developed by DRDO and
Indian Navy. The “X” form of the Hull
and Super Structure gives very Low Radar Cross Section and the special design
of propulsion system minimizes Radiated Underwater Noise. The Stealth
features make the ship nearly undetectable to the enemy both above and below
the sea surface.
GRSE is currently executing three major shipbuilding projects, namely the P17A Project for 3 Advanced Stealth Frigates, 4 Survey Vessels (Large) and 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts. The shipyard plans to deliver the last ship of the LCU Class by this yearend and the 1st P17A Ship is expected to be launched in Dec this year, well ahead of schedule. GRSE delivered the Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Kanaklata Barua in June 2020, in the face of challenges in operating in a manpower-intensive industry during pandemic times. GRSE has a strong order book of Rs 26,544 crores as of 31st Mar 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered innovation in terms of working style for the shipyard. GRSE’s strategies revolve around shifting to smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0 with innovations in Automation, Robotics and the Industrial Internet of Things. A state-of-the-art Modern Hull Block Complex and Indigenous Underwater CNC Plasma Cutting Facility were virtually inaugurated by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri. Rajnath Singh at the RBD Unit of GRSE, to augment the existing infrastructure at the Main Unit of the Shipyard.
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